A sectoral assessment of the withdrawal of direct payments for UK farmers should be undertaken to allow better targeting of supports to small and medium-sized farmers, a report from the UK House of Commons committee has found.

On 6 June, the Commons select committee published its report on the matter and is seeking confirmation from the department over the timing and length of the agricultural transition, giving farming businesses time to adjust, and the status of cross-compliance and greening once the UK leaves the EU.

The committee also wants confirmation that all existing environmental schemes will be supported to their completion.

The committee recommended that DEFRA produce a thorough "sectoral assessment of the withdrawal of direct payments" in response to its report. Production of this assessment will allow the department to better target the additional support that will be required by small and medium-sized farms and businesses in especially vulnerable sectors.

In April and May 2018, the Commons Select Committee took oral evidence from six panels of witnesses to hear different sectors’ analyses of the Government’s proposals. Their final oral evidence session was held at the start of last month with George Eustice MP, Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

The committee wants to ensure an "effective minimum baseline of regulation". They state in their report that this will be "vital to delivering the Government’s proposals" when using public money to support public goods.

Once the UK leaves the EU, the UK Government plans to incentivise methods of farming. It intends to do this by leaving the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and implementing a new system based on paying public money for public goods.

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