Scots farmers pin hopes on a change of heart over Bill
In a last ditch attempt to protect the UK’ s high farming standards, Westminster’s House of Lords has been urged to revisit a proposed amendment to the UK Agriculture Bill designed to give greater scrutiny to international trade deals which was last week sidelined by the Commons on a technicality.
With the Upper house due to debate the bill again today during the ‘ping-pong’ stage as the legislation moves to and fro between the houses, NFU Scotland said that by redrafting the amendment it could gain the traction required to boost the effectiveness of the Trade and Agriculture Committee (TAC).
The union said that last week’s vote in the House of Commons on the Agriculture Bill saw MPS fail to back an amendment from the Lords that would have enshrined principles on high standards of animal welfare and environmental protection in law – claiming this had been a bitterly disappointing outcome for Scottish farmers and crofters and the public.
However the union said that a second clause put forward by Lord Curry of Kirk har le which would have ensured more appropriate governance and scrutiny of trade negotiations through guidance from the TAC to parliament was not selected for a vote last week as it was declared a “Money Resolu - tion” which could not be submitted by the Lords.
But yesterday the union said that it was pushing for this amendment to be revisited by the Lords and brought forward in a form that would allow it to be presented to the House of Commons.
NFU Scotland President Andrew Mccornick said that the union had not been alone in being disappointed with the approach taken by the Commons, with the vast majority of consumers, the entire food industry and many celebrities endorsing the move to have an equivalence of standards in international trade deals written into legislation.
“This principle has always been a red-line issue for NFU Scotland, and while it has been batted back by a majority in the House of Commons last week, there is still a vital window of opportunity for improvements to be made to the bill which would strengthen oversight and scrutiny of trade negotiations.”
He said that a second chance could be given through Lord Curry’ s amendment to strengthen the role of the TAC and allow MPS to have greater oversight of trade ne gotiations before they were agreed.
“N F US cot land has worked alongside all UK farming unions to advo - ca te strongly for these measures throughout the passage of the Bill,” said Mccornick.
He said the move was a “sensible and proportionate” measure which would ensure that the UK government could pursue its desired independent trade policy post-brexit and at the same time ensure effective democratic oversight of future trade deals.
He said that if the amendment was supported as the union hoped it would, then all eyes would once more be on the House of Commons to see whether the principles, which he said had been backed to the hilt by the food and farming sectors and the gen - eral public, would be supported.