Two days after prorogation, NFU Scotland was in Westminster meeting politicians. Morning meetings with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland, Colin Clark MP and Brendan O’Hara MP were followed by a meeting with Minister at Defra, George Eustice MP and Scottish MP Luke Graham this afternoon. Depending on court rulings, it could be a further five weeks before Parliament sits again on 14 October and NFUS is keen to build on last week’s meeting with the Prime Minister in Aberdeenshire, and discussions with all political parties, where the impact of trade deals and proposed tariff schedules on Scottish food and farming in a ‘no deal’ Brexit scenario are high up on the agenda. With the proposed Agriculture Bill falling as a result of prorogation, NFU Scotland was also keen to establish today what that means for the issue of repatriation of red meat levies.
Director of Policy Jonnie Hall and Political Affairs Manager Clare Slipper accompanied President Andrew McCornick, who said: “MPs may have been sent back to their constituencies for five weeks but the business of government is still very much in play as we head towards the supposed date of EU exit on 31 October.
“With no deal still a very real prospect, NFUS has discussed contingency planning with MPs today and has hammered home the damage that the UK Government’s current proposed tariff schedule would have if it were to be implemented in the event of a no deal.
“Fair repatriation of red meat levy is also a long-running issue that remains to be resolved. The Agriculture Bill was seen as the route to addressing this but in light of the Agriculture Bill falling, we used our meetings in Westminster today to clarify what provisions are in place to ensure this is resolved. We want to establish if tagging the levy amendment on to other primary legislation may prove a more successful option that waiting for the Agriculture Bill to be reintroduced.”
