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<p>There have been three Defra and devolved administration ministerial meetings in
the past six months with a Senior Civil Servant from Northern Ireland in attendance.</p><p>
</p><p>There have been twenty official-level meetings between Defra and all of the
devolved administrations prior to the introduction of the Bill to discuss draft provisions
and joint working. Since the introduction of the Bill, official-level meetings have
continued on a regular basis with weekly contact between Defra and the Department
of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to discuss both the timetable
for the Agriculture Bill and the potential effect of its provisions on Northern Ireland.</p><p>
</p><p>We have been working constructively with officials in DAERA to discuss provisions
for Northern Ireland in the Agriculture Bill. Agriculture policy is devolved and it
will be for a future Northern Ireland Executive to determine its own policy. However
in the absence of an Assembly, Northern Ireland officials’ approach to the Bill is
to ensure that the status quo can continue and that future Executive Ministers have
the flexibility to develop future policy.</p><p> </p>
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