Duke of Montrose

The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) in its plenary format (JMC(P)), chaired by the Prime Minister and attended by the First Ministers of the devolved administrations and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, has met 13 times since 31 March 2001.

The Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations (JMC(EN)) has met 21 times since it was established in 2016. The JMC(EN) brings together the UK Government and the devolved administrations to discuss the progress of the UK’s exit from the EU.

The Joint Ministerial Committee on Europe (JMC(E)) has wherever possible met quarterly in advance of European Council meetings to discuss ongoing EU business with the devolved administrations.

During the absence of the Northern Ireland Executive, senior officials from the Northern Ireland Civil Service attended. The attendance and matters under discussion are published on the GOV.UK website, via communiqué, for JMC(P) and JMC(EN) meetings.

As set out in the MoU between the UK Government and the devolved administrations, minutes are not published following meetings of the JMC, to allow for free and candid discussion.

This Government is investing record amounts to level up digital infrastructure across the UK. We are already connecting some of the hardest to reach places in the country, through our Superfast broadband programme and £200 million Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme. In addition, we have pledged a further £5bn to ensure no part of the country is left behind.

Our aim is for nationwide coverage of gigabit-capable networks, including full fibre, as soon as possible. Much progress has already been made by the Government, working with the telecoms industry, to support network rollout and deployment is starting to increase at pace. For example, we have introduced the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill into Parliament, which will make it easier for network builders to access blocks of flats where there is an absent or unresponsive landlord.

Just over £11.5 million of UK Government funding is being provided to Scotland through the Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) programme. This funding is upgrading public sector assets with gigabit-capable full fibre networks across Tay Cities, Highland Councils and Shetland Councils. These upgrades will then stimulate the market to invest commercially in the surrounding communities. Good progress has been made with the projects thus far with the build, and the associated funding, expected to be completed and utilised respectively by March 2021.

The Scottish Borderlands area is also a priority for the Government’s £200 million Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme, which is upgrading public sector sites in rural areas with gigabit-capable networks. This programme also offers vouchers for rural customers, which can be used to contribute towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable infrastructure.

In addition, the government has pledged £5 billion for a new programme delivering gigabit-capable broadband to the most difficult areas to reach across the UK, including communities in Scotland. We are currently engaging closely with industry, Local Authorities and Devolved Administrations to design this new programme and get the best possible value for money for taxpayers. We intend to start procuring contracts early next year.

Recognising the importance of food security, in the Agriculture Act 2020 the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security and will do so every three years. The next United Kingdom Food Security Report will be published by December 2024.

The UK has a high degree of food security built on access to a diverse range of sources including robust supply chains from various countries, and strong domestic production. The 2022 domestic harvest and the war in Ukraine have had little impact on the UK’s overall food security. In addition to the United Kingdom Food Security Report, Defra collects and publishes annual data on UK domestic agricultural production and overseas trade in its “Agriculture in the United Kingdom” Report.

Due to the increase in cost of natural gas across the globe, a key feedstock for the production of nitrogen-based fertiliser products including ammonium nitrate, the cost of production of these fertiliser types has increased significantly. It has also affected Europe and the global market with some fertiliser companies halting or reducing production due to high input costs, leading to some countries such as China reducing the export of some fertiliser products to protect their domestic demands.

The situation and impacts on farmers in particular, and industry more widely, of current high fertiliser prices, are being monitored closely. We will continue to engage with industry and farmers to understand any potential pressures and options to mitigate any risks. We understand from industry intelligence that the vast majority of fertiliser needs for this planting season have been met.

There are nutrient management techniques and technologies that can be used alongside fertiliser products that help the efficacy of fertilisers and help maintain high yield and good quality produce. Support in the form of guidance from fertiliser suppliers and agricultural organisations such as National Farmers Union can be found from various public sources. Defra is aware that the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board has published many helpful public pieces of guidance, advice and webinar recordings on mitigating high fertiliser prices.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) can confirm that there are currently facilities in Northern Ireland authorised to carry out veterinary medicines quality control (QC) batch testing and batch release/certification. These facilities will remain authorised to conduct these activities from 2022. We are currently working with industry and other government departments to establish the capacity and capability in NI to meet the requirement for batch testing and certification by a Qualified Person from 1 January 2022.

We continue to monitor the impact of the coronavirus disruption on all sectors and dairy producers and are committed to providing support. Dairy producers are eligible for a range of support, including the Covid-19 Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme. The Bounce Back Loan Scheme will ensure that the smallest businesses can access up to £50,000 loans with a Government 100% guarantee on each loan, to give lenders the confidence they need to support the smallest businesses in the country. We will also cover the first 12 months of interest payments and fees charged to the business by the lender.

The United Kingdom condemns in the strongest terms Russia's decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the Foreign Secretary has called on Russia to rejoin immediately. The UK will continue to explore options, with Ukraine and other partners, to enable Ukraine to continue exporting its grain. A NATO-Ukraine Council is being convened on 26 July to discuss Black Sea Security.

We welcome the recent peace agreement between the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People's Liberation Front. We hope this will lead to unfettered humanitarian access and the restoration of essential basic services. In the last eighteen months the UK has provided almost £90 million of humanitarian support to people affected by crises throughout Ethiopia. Our support has reached civilians in Tigray and other regions.

The 2020 Spending Review allocated £570 million to the Scottish Government for farm support. This settlement ensures that, together with remaining receipts under Pillar 2 of the EU Common Agricultural Policy, Scotland’s farm support budget for 2021-22 is the same as in 2019. This delivers on the government’s commitment to maintain the current annual budget for UK farmers during this parliament. It is for the Scottish Government to determine how to allocate this funding to farmers, land managers and the rural economy.

The 2020 Spending Review allocated £570 million to the Scottish Government for farm support. This settlement ensures that, together with remaining receipts under Pillar 2 of the EU Common Agricultural Policy, Scotland’s farm support budget for 2021-22 is the same as in 2019. This delivers on the government’s commitment to maintain the current annual budget for UK farmers during this parliament. It is for the Scottish Government to determine how to allocate this funding to farmers, land managers and the rural economy.