Agriculture and environment

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on agriculture and the environment. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
23.07.2013	CAP Reform 2014-2020: Reaching Agreement
	Political agreement was reached on the major elements of the reform of the Common Agriculural Policy for 2014-2020 on 26 June 2013. This note sets out the main elements of the agreement with stakeholder comment. Some issues are still being discussed at European level following overall EU budget agreements and the flexibility of the reform deal means that key implmenentation decisions are to follow in the UK.
06.06.2013	Septic tanks: new regulations
	Septic tanks within groundwater source protection zone 1 had to be registered or have an environmental permit by 2012. All other septic tanks may have to be registered depending on the outcome of the consultation by DEFRA due to be announced in 2013.
04.06.2013	Badger Culling
	This note summarises the proposals for allowing farmers in England to cull badgers and the Governments decison to go ahead with a cull, starting with two pilot areas in West Gloucestershire and West Somerset. The cull was postponed until 2012, but licences were for it to go ahead from 1st June 2013
17.05.2013	EU Bibliographies: Proposed reform of the Common Agricultural Policy
	This Note brings together documents relevant to the proposals to reform the Common Agricultural Policy and its scrutiny in the UK and EU. It is not an attempt to define policy in this area. For information on policy developments contact Emma Downing on extn 6787
18.03.2013	Biomass
	This note summarises policy on biomass generation

Research Papers

Date	Description
10.11.2010	Sustainable Livestock Bill. Bill 5 of 2010-11 Public Bodies (Sustainable Food) Bill. Bill 12 of 2010-11
	The Sustainable Livestock Bill aims to reduce the environmental impacts of livestock production in the UK. It also aims to amend the way agricultural subsidies are used to make them more environmentally friendly. It includes a duty to give consideration to supporting sustainable practices and consumption through public procurement of livestock produce. The Public Bodies (Sustainable Food) Bill would create a duty on the Secretary of State to prepare a Code for Sustainable Food to promote the procurement of healthy and sustainable food by public bodies. This could be made compulsory if uptake was not extensive enough.
02.06.2005	Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill (Bill 3 2005-06)
	Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill (Bill 3 2005-06). House of Commons Library Research Paper 05/39
10.10.2002	Sustainable development and the 2002 World Summit
	Sustainable development and the 2002 World Summit. House of Commons Library Research Paper 02/55.
31.03.1999	Genetically modified crops and food
	Genetically modified crops and food. House of Commons Library Research Paper 99/38.
24.06.1998	Agriculture and the Environment
	Agriculture and the Environment. House of Commons Library Research Paper 98/70.

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
17.01.2012	PESTICIDE USE AND POLLINATOR POPULATIONS
	That this House notes the publication of the scientific paper Multiple routes of pesticide exposure for honey bees living near agricultural fields, reporting the recent findings of ...
04.05.2011	FUTURE OF ALLOTMENTS
	That this House welcomes the strong support for allotments made by the Prime Minister during Prime Minister's Questions on 4 May 2011; acknowledges with approval his endorsement of ...
27.04.2011	PROVISION OF ALLOTMENTS
	That this House notes that under the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908, a local authority has a statutory duty to provide a sufficient number of allotment plots to meet demand; ...
31.03.2011	NEONICOTINOID PESTICIDES AND POLLINATING INSECTS
	That this House welcomes the decision of Professor Robert Watson, Chief Scientific Advisor at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to initiatea review of all the ...
16.09.2010	GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
	That this House is concerned that the European Commission has so far not implemented measures called for by the EU Council in 2008 to improve genetically modified organisms (GMO) risk ...

POST Papers

Date	Description
21.12.2012	Plant-made Pharmaceuticals
	The use of genetically modified (GM) plants to produce pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines is an emerging technology that offers a low-cost, large-scale alternative to current methods. This POSTnote looks at recent advances in, and the benefits of, the technology, and analyses the associated biosafety and regulatory issues.
17.09.2012	Water Resource Resilience
	The availability of water resources is fundamental for society and economic activities. This POSTnote describes the reasons for uncertainties in water resource availability for future supply and demand and possible responses to managing these risks in the medium term.
05.09.2012	Balancing Nature and Agriculture
	This POSTnote explores two approaches to managing land for balancing nature conservation with sustainable food production. Land sharing integrates the objectives of agriculture and benefits to wildlife on the same land. Land sparing on the other hand separates intensive farming areas from protected natural habitats at larger scales.
15.06.2012	GM in Agricultural Development
	Almost 2 billion people suffer from chronic hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. The UK funds research into genetic modification (GM) as one option for agricultural development. This POSTnote examines the potential benefits and challenges of using genetically modified crops to improve food security in developing countries.
15.05.2012	Bioenergy
	Bioenergy is the use of renewable natural material for power, heat and liquid fuels. Currently, the UK sources approximately 3% of its primary energy from bioenergy feedstocks. This POSTnote considers the opportunities and challenges of producing bioenergy sustainably to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets.
05.12.2011	Natural Flood Management
	Natural flood management, defined here as the alteration, restoration or use of landscape features, is being promoted as a novel way of reducing flood risk. This POSTnote reviews the policy drivers of this approach, as well as the scientific basis, and implementation, of inland natural flood management strategies.