Farming and fishing

This note sets out important indicators of UK agriculture that have been published annually over this time. Together they give an indication of some of the ways that agriculture has changed in response to events over the last 100 years or more including the two world wars, the depression of the 1930s, the post-war boom and entry into the European Community. These long runs of data also give some historical context to more recent changes in agriculture including the dramatic fall in prices and farm incomes in the late 1990s, BSE and the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

A parliamentary petition calling on the Government to make 'netting' hedgerows to prevent birds from nesting a criminal offence had over 350,000 signatures by 2 May 2019.

The House of Commons has voted on various options for the future UK-EU relationship in the hope that an agreed UK position may help to break the impasse following the Commons' rejection of the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement. The Government says it may hold a further Commons vote on future relationship options. What options have been proposed?

This paper provides links to a selection of analysis and comment on general ‘Brexit’ coverage.

Committee stage of the Fisheries Bill 2017-19 in the House of Commons was completed on 17 December 2018. The Bill will allow the UK to manage fisheries within its territorial waters once it has left the Commons Fisheries Policy. There is no date set for Report.

A debate will be held in Westminster Hall on Monday 1 April 2019 at 4.30pm on e-petitions 241584, 235138 and 243319 relating to leaving the European Union. The Member leading the debate is Catherine McKinnell MP.

A 90-minute debate on the ‘Interdependence of modern farming and the environment’ has been scheduled for 2.30 pm on Tuesday 12 March 2019 in Westminster Hall. Colin Clark MP is the Member leading the debate.

A debate will be held in Westminster Hall on Monday 11 March 2019 at 4.30pm on e-petition 239706 relating to leaving the European Union. The Member leading the debate is Daniel Zeichner MP.

What could happen if the EU and UK negotiators don't agree a withdrawal agreement in time and the UK has to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 without one - and with no framework for future relations either? This paper looks at how such a situation might come about, the constitutional implications for the UK and in some cases for the devolved administrations, and what the impact might be in a range of policy areas.

A Westminster Hall debate on 'E-petition 224908 relating to leaving the European Union' is scheduled for Monday 4 February from 4.30pm. The Member opening the debate is Paul Scully MP.

This pack has been produced ahead of the debate to be held in Westminster Hall on Wednesday 16 January 2019 from 2.30-4pm on the future of the British bioethanol industry. The debate will be opened by Nic Dakin MP.

A debate will be held in Westminster Hall on Monday 14 January at 4.30pm on e-petitions 229963, 221747 and 235185, relating to leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement, 232984 and 241361 relating to holding a further referendum on leaving the EU, and 226509 and 236261 relating to not leaving the EU. Paul Scully MP will open the debate.

This paper provides links to a selection of debates that have referenced Brexit in the title or during a debate in 2018. This paper will be updated periodically.

This briefing paper outlines the institutional structure of the EEA, its pros and cons and the debate over withdrawal from the EEA.

The UK is in the process of negotiating its exit from the EU, and as part of that the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). This paper provides an overview of how fisheries are currently managed in the UK within the CFP.