Select committee: Welsh Affairs Committee
Recommendation 8
5th Report - The economic and cultural impacts of trade and environmental policy on family farms in Wales
Published 7 Apr 2022
Paragraph 38
Addressed to Wales Office
Welsh Affairs Committee The economic and cultural impacts of trade and environmental policy on family farms in Wales All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
While we acknowledge and respect the fact that environmental and planning policy are devolved competencies, we strongly encourage the Welsh Government to reassess whether it currently has sufficiently strong safeguards in place for its tree planting schemes. In particular, we draw their attention to the Woodland Trust’s call for a requirement that companies investing in carbon woodland offsets have a substantial and credible emission reductions programme in place and are not using offsetting schemes to avoid reducing emissions. Furthermore, we call on the Welsh and UK governments to improve the transparency and regulation of carbon offset schemes which in effect create a change of land use. For example, greater transparency may be achieved by the creation of a register of carbon offset schemes so that the extent of this problem can be monitored.
From: Welsh Affairs Committee, 5th Report - The economic and cultural impacts of trade and environmental policy on family farms in Wales (HC 607), paragraph 38, 7 April 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 14 July 2022 (deadline 7 June 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government states that it "has carefully considered the Committee's recommendations and has responded to each in turn", mostly describing existing or planned work and, in several areas, noting that policy is devolved and its measures apply to England.
- On trade, it is "establishing a new Food and Drink Export Council" with the Devolved Administrations and industry, whose remit and membership will be agreed in partnership. It "recognises the need" for agri-food attachés with Welsh experience.
- On FTA impact reporting, it points to existing scoping and impact assessments published at the launch and conclusion of negotiations, which cover the nations and regions of the UK, including Wales. It does not state a commitment to publish a separate Wales statement or cumulative modelling data.
- On carbon offsets, it points to the UK Land Carbon Registry for projects under the Woodland and Peatland Codes. For England, it says it has "no plans to monitor the purchase of viable agricultural land".
- On new entrants, it says its funding and new entrant scheme apply to England. Pilots are aimed to launch "this year", after which it "will consider" whether there is a rationale for capital grants. It will share information on the scheme and the Lump Sum Exit Scheme with the Welsh Government.