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The UK’s cabinet office published a communiqué after Monday’s joint ministerial committee meeting that recognises a greater devolution of powers to regional administrations after Brexit.
However, this will be within a common framework and agriculture is highlighted as a particular example.
Currently agricultural policy is made in Brussels on an EU-wide basis, with the member state role confined to administration and implementation of this.
In the UK, much of the implementation role is devolved to the regional administrations, with Whitehall retaining control over trade.
Post-Brexit
After Brexit, Westminster will essentially take over the role of Brussels in standardising policy on a UK-wide basis.
Just how much power will be devolved to regional administrations is unknown at this point.
One area that will be watched with interest by farmers is allocation of any financial support to farming.
Overall UK allocation of resources to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is covered by what is known as the Barnett formula. This mechanism automatically adjusts the amounts of public expenditure allocated to these areas to reflect changes in spending levels allocated to public services in England, England and Wales or Britain, as appropriate.
However, the allocation of CAP support to Northern Ireland farmers gives them twice what they would receive if the Barnett formula was applied to support for agriculture.
Conversely this has been a continual grievance of Scottish farmers, who feel they get an unfair deal in the overall UK CAP allocation.
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