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

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 25 March (HL Deb, col 1612), when they will respond to the concerns raised by the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee on their approach to delegated powers in the Agriculture Bill, as set out in that Committee's Thirty Fourth Report, published on 17 October 2018 (HL Paper 194).

Defra acknowledges the concerns raised by the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee. The department is considering all elements of the Committee’s Report and how these might be addressed. The Agriculture Bill is to be scheduled for Commons Report Stage in due course.

It is the Government’s intention to respond to the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee, before Commons Report stage, as indicated in our letter to the Committee dated 17 January.