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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to European Commissioner Hogan’s request for ideas on how to simplify the Common Agricultural Policy.

The UK response to Commissioner Hogan’s request to Member States for ideas and suggestions on simplifying the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was submitted on 3 March. The response has been prepared in conjunction with the Devolved Administrations and following wide consultation across the UK farming industry. It sets out a number of ideas that meet the criteria set out in the Commissioner’s request, which are immediate, practical and non-legislative changes. We have also submitted a table of issues as a basis to inform future legislative change, as that will be required to genuinely simplify the CAP.

I have placed a copy, both of the response and table of the UK’s CAP simplification priorities and issues, in the House library.