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Written Question
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit
Monday 9th September 2019

Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings her Department has had with Durham County Council on preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Answered by George Eustice

We have communicated on a range of topics with local authorities, including in a conference call on 13 August along with other Government departments. Each local Authority has established a Brexit lead officer to liaise with Government.

Defra has identified areas where our exit preparations impact local authorities. For instance Environmental Health Officers are responsible for issuing Export Health Certificates on fish and we have discussed capacity and the requirements with them.

We regularly contribute to a cross-government working group which coordinates engagement with local authorities.

Information on leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement relevant to a particular local authority can then be accessed by the local authority via shared channels, such as:

  • MHCLG’s Local government Brexit preparedness page on GOV.UK;
  • MHCLG’s weekly e-bulletin to local authorities setting out all relevant updates for the week;
  • Presenting information at MHCLG’s monthly delivery board to local authority representatives;
  • The Food Standards Agency’s Smarter Comms platform accessed directly by regulatory officers in local authorities;
  • Cascading information via MHCLG’s network of nine regional local authority Chief Executives;
  • Using MHCLG’s newly established network of Brexit lead officers in each local authority;
  • Direct email messages to regulatory leads in relevant local authorities;
  • Engaging with and passing information through regulatory bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute or the Association of Port Health Authorities.

Information on a range of Defra’s exit projects if we leave the EU without a withdrawal agreement has been made available to local authorities through these channels. This includes information on:

  • Exporting fish and shellfish (Export Health Certificates);
  • Importing fish and fisheries products (Catch Certificates);
  • Import control systems for animals, products of animal origin and high risk food and feed;
  • Food labelling changes;
  • The protection of habitats and species;
  • Waste;
  • Guidance for businesses exporting goods to the EU.

Local authorities have been invited to attend various meetings, including workshops, training events and roadshows on topics including:

  • Changes to environmental regulations;
  • Changes to food and farming;
  • Changes to exports of animals and animal products;
  • Changes to imports of animals and animal products;
  • MHCLG’s regional roadshows on how local authorities will be affected by exiting the EU without a withdrawal agreement in Wakefield, Birmingham, London and Cambridge;
  • Training on catch certificates in Wales, Inverness, Bristol and Newcastle;
  • Changes to trading standards regulatory functions in Exeter;
  • A series of teleconferences on changes to export health certificates;
  • A webinar on changes affecting border or coastal local authorities;
  • A workshop on regulatory services hosted by MHCLG with input from other departments including Defra.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 03 Sep 2019
Sheep Farming: No-deal EU Exit

"Last week, I went to the Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Service. Its concern is that because the Government have failed to bring forward the Agriculture Bill, it is not clear whether the Government have the legal powers to make payments in the event of no-deal Brexit. Does my hon. Friend …..."
Helen Goodman - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 03 Sep 2019
Sheep Farming: No-deal EU Exit

"I am astounded by what the Minister has just said. The pound has fallen by 20% since the referendum, which means that for every export the farmers are getting 20% less money. How can that be good for them?..."
Helen Goodman - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 20 Jun 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

"Last Thursday, the shadow Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Workington (Sue Hayman), and I visited Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services. We met farmers who had not been paid for 18 months, so payments in July would be welcome. Will they get interest on the late payments?..."
Helen Goodman - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 20 Jun 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

"rose—..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 20 Jun 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

"8. What steps the Church Commissioners are taking to use their influence and responsible investment policy to engage positively with global businesses on their working practices. ..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 20 Jun 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

"I am grateful to the right hon. Lady for that answer. The dam collapse claimed the lives of 246 people. Vale is a British company and it is totally unacceptable to have lower standards of health and safety abroad than at home. What is the Church of England’s strategy, as …..."
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Written Question
Peat Bogs: Environment Protection
Thursday 6th June 2019

Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to his oral contribution of 9 May 2019, Official Report Column 653, when and by how much the budget for peatland restoration will be increased.

Answered by Baroness Coffey

The Government will take any future decisions on funding for peatland restoration as part of the 2019 Spending Review.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 09 May 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

"Contrary to what the Secretary of State said to me last week, the DEFRA main estimate says that the budget for peatland restoration is unchanged. I am not going to ask for an apology, but the Secretary of State knows that peat amounts to 10% of our carbon dioxide emissions, …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 09 May 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

"7. What support the Church of England is offering to the Christian community in Sri Lanka in response to the recent terrorist attacks in that country. ..."
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