A presentation by Professor Mark Hammond and Dr Amelia Hadfield.
Minutes:
Professor Mark Hammond, Visiting Professor of Politics and International Relations, and Professor Amelia Hadfield, Director of the Centre for European Studies, Canterbury Christ Church University, were in attendance for this item at the invitation of the committee.
Mark Hammond, visiting Professor of Politics and International Relations, CCCU and Professor Amelia Hadfield, Director of the Centre for European Studies, CCCU introduced the report which focused primarily on small and medium-sized enterprises and the uncertainty around Brexit, Agriculture, Data compliance through external organisations and Policing, security and Law Enforcement. Mr Hammond concluded that Helen Whately, Member of Parliament for Faversham and Mid-Kent, would be sponsoring the launch of the report at Westminster on 13th July 2017.
Mark Hammond said that the report was a compilation of views from different business and organisations across Kent and Medway that focus on making a success of Brexit. The report did not contain personal or substantive views on the referendum of Brexit and no judgemental value had been taken from the exercise. Amelia Hadfield informed Members that due to limited financial provisions, the surveys carried out were all that were permitted within the budgetary constraints, thereby allowing a limited view of the possible economic issues that could arise.
Amelia Hadfield assured Members that whilst the report did not contain responses regarding holdings selling land to non-British nationals, there was wide spread uncertainty as to the ability on how to care for the land under what may be increasingly wide legislative requirements. CCCU had worked hard to maintain the national perspective and Local Kent Imperative. The report would be submitted to the Brexit Department and Brexit Committee (currently awaiting confirmation as to who is peopling this).
Amelia Hadfield informed Members that there was no conclusion regarding the British Governments decisions around the Common Agriculture Policy and the repatriation to farmers themselves. Possible removal of subsidies has caused holdings to find new innovative solutions such as digital farming to reduce manual labour. Although mechanical farming was in its infancy, pilot projects could be used throughout Kent and Medway to identify ways in which this could be rolled out.
Professor Amelia Hadfield, Director of the Centre for European Studies agreed that the report needed to provide a clearer distinction on the weight given to small and large holdings as there were two separate arguments that needed to be addressed. The conflict of dates around the CAP may be subject to negotiation as the multilateral financial framework ran out in 2010.
Amelia Hadfield confirmed that the current value of subsidies into Kent was £45m.
The report identified that there had been a 50% drop in agriculture recruitment agencies, Professor Amelia Hadfield confirmed that this was due to a 50% drop in applicants.
Professor Amelia Hadfield, Director of the Centre for European Studies informed the Committee that CCCU were unable to quantify the effects on the average family’s house-hold food bill following the decisions of CAP.
A Member said that in order to hold an open and national debate; the correct data must be fed into and looked at objectively without prejudice. Following the decision to leave the European Union, the Local Government needed all areas of expertise and opposing sides to produce objective data.
Mr Smith concluded that the report submitted by CCCU in December 2016 was of great interest to Kent. The MP for Faversham and Mid-Kent who was a Member of the Brexit Committee found the report to be useful to inform discussions in the Parliamentary Committee. The next report would be published in July and would return to the Growth, Economic Development and Communities Cabinet Committee following its submission to Parliament in the early summer.