Meetings

Rebecca Evans, Deputy Minister for Farming and Food                    

Andrew Slade, Director, Agriculture, Food and Marine

E&S(4)-05-15 Paper 1

E&S(4)-05-15 Paper 1 Annexe

The Minister and officials responded to questions from members of the Committee.

The Deputy Minister agreed to update the Committee on the budgetary implications within her portfolio resulting from the changes to the Basic Payment Scheme.

          Gwilym Jones, Member of Cabinet, EU Agriculture Commissioner

9.1 Gwilym Jones responded to questions from members of the Committee.

E&S(4)-02-14 paper 1

          Alun Davies AM, Minister for Natural Resources and Food

Andrew Slade, Director, Agriculture, Food & Marine

2.1 The Minister responded to questions from members of the Committee.

E&S(4)-01-14 paper 6

5.2 The Committee noted the paper.

6.1 The Committee considered the paper and agreed to publish it as a record of its work.

          Ed Bailey, NFU Cymru

          Keri Davies, Wales Organic Centre

          Sue Evans, CLA

Nick Fenwick, Farmers Union of Wales

Brian Paswon, Natural Resources Wales

Arfon Williams, Wales Environment Link

3.1 The witnesses responded to questions from members of the Committee.

3.2 Nick Fenwick agreed to provide a copy of the figures produced by Bangor University on income from wildlife tourism.

3.3 Nick Fenwick, Brian Pawson and Arfon Williams agreed to provide further information in writing on income foregone relating to agri-environment schemes.

Dermot Ryan, Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU

Gregg Jones, Head of National Assembly for Wales EU Office

5.1 Dermot Ryan responded to questions from members of the Committee.

E&S(4)-05-13 paper 1 – Wales Environment Link

Emily Keenan, The National Trust

Cllr Dilwyn Roberts, WLGA Rural Forum

Arfon Williams, RSPB Cymru

5.1 The witnesses responded to questions from members of the Committee.

          Ed Bailey, NFU Cymru

Keri Davies, Wales Organic Group

Sue Evans, CLA

          Emma Hockridge, Soil Association

          Nick Fenwick, Farmers Union of Wales

4.1 The witnesses responded to questions from members of the Committee.

Dermot Ryan, Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU

Gregg Jones, Head of National Assembly for Wales EU Office

3.1 Dermot Ryan responded to questions from members of the Committee.

Jill Evans MEP

          Derek Vaughan MEP

Daniel Dalton, European Parliament ECR Adviser on agriculture

2.1 The MEPs and Daniel Dalton responded to questions from members of the Committee.

7.1 The Committee agreed the Common Agricultural Policy draft letter.

Rt Hon Jim Paice MP, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food (Defra)

2.1 The Minister responded to questions from members of the Task and Finish Group on proposed reforms to the Common Agriculture Policy.

6.1 The Committee agreed the draft letters from the Common Agricultural Policy Task and Finish Group to the Welsh Government and the European Parliament and Committee of the Regions Rapporteur.

3.1 The Task and Finish Group considered the draft letters and agreed an amendment to be considered by the Environment and Sustainability Committee.

Paper 1: Food for Life Evaluation

Paper 2: Soil Carbon Report Overview

Paper 3: Response from the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and European Programmes on the Horizontal Regulation on financing, management and monitoring of the CAP.

5a.1   The Group noted correspondence from the Deputy Minister and the Soil Association.

4.1     The Committee held an ‘open mic’ session where members of the public asked questions and give their views on the CAP proposals.

4.2     In response to a question from Roger Davies regarding taxation on privately owned land, the Research Service agreed to prepare a short note.

4.3     William Powell asked for a briefing note on the different agri-environment schemes across the 27 States of the European Union.

CAP(4)-04-11 Paper 3: Country Land and Business Association (CLA)

          Sue Evans, Policy Director

CAP(4)-04-11 Paper 4: Wales Young Farmers Clubs (Wales YFC)

          Dylan Jones, Chairman

Marc Jones, Rural Affairs Committee Chairman

          Kay Lewis, Development Officer

3.1     The Committee took evidence from the Country Land and Business Association and Wales Young Farmers Clubs.

CAP(4)-04-11 Paper 1: National Farmers’ Union (NFU)

          Ed Bailey, President

          Mary James, Director

          Dylan Morgan, Deputy Director

CAP(4)-04-11 Paper 2: Farmers’ Union of Wales

          Emyr Jones, President

          Nick Fenwick, Director of Agricultural Policy

          Rhian Nowell-Phillips, Deputy Director of Agricultural Policy

2.1     The Committee took evidence from the National Farmers’ Union and the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

CAP(4)-03-11 Paper 5: Farming and Advisory Wildlife Group (FWAG)

          Glenda Thomas, Director FWAG Cymru

CAP(4)-03-11 Paper 6: Soil Association

          Emma Hockridge, Head of Policy

4.1     The Committee received evidence from the Farming and Advisory Wildlife Group (FWAG) and the Soil Association.

4.2     The Soil Association agreed to share the evaluation of the Lottery funded project ‘Food for Life Partnership’ when published.  

CAP(4)-03-11 Paper 3: National Trust (paper to follow)

          Trystan Edwards, Wales Farm and Countryside Adviser

CAP(4)-03-11 Paper 4: RSPB

          Arfon Williams, Countryside Manager        

3.1     The Committee received evidence from the National Trust and the RSPB.

3.2     The RSPB agreed to write to the Committee in response to the figures about Welsh Government funding presented to him by Antoinette Sandbach.

CAP(4)-03-11 Paper 1: Environment Agency Wales

          Simon Neale, Strategy and Policy Manager – Land Quality

Richard Davies, Strategic Unit Wales Advisor - Land Quality

CAP(4)-03-11 Paper 2: Countryside Council for Wales

          Brian Pawson, Senior Agricultural Advisor

          Dr Ieuan Joyce, Council Member

2.1     The Committee received evidence from the Environment Agency Wales and the Countryside Council for Wales.

Betty Lee, Economic and Policy Analyst  

Jean-Bernard Benhaiem, Programme Manager - EU policies

3.1 The Committee received evidence from the European Commission, via video conference.  The Commission agreed to provide further information on the impact on the dairy sector of the proposals and  specifically on the provision for written milk contracts.  They also agreed to provide further information on the European Partnership for Innovation for Agricultural Productivity and  the prize for innovative, local cooperation in rural areas.

CAP(4)-02-11 paper 1

Alun Davies AM, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and European Programmes

Rory O'Sullivan, Director, Rural Affairs

Terri Thomas, Head of Countryside Policy Division

2.1 The Committee received evidence from the Deputy Minister, who agreed to share modelling work in relation to area based payments.

CAP(4)-01-11 paper 1

Kaley Hart, Head of Agriculture and Land Management Programme

2.1 Ms Hart gave a presentation to the Group on the proposed reform of the Common Agriculture Policy.

2.2 Ms Hart responded to questions from Members of the Group.

E&S(4)-05-11 paper 5

6.1 The Committee agreed the terms of reference for the Common Agriculture Policy Task and Finish Group.

E&S(4)-04-11 paper 3 – to follow

5.1 The Committee agreed the following motion to establish a Common Agriculture Policy Task and Finish Group under Standing Order 17.17: