, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary
for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: In accordance with the
inter-institutional relations agreement, I can report to Members
I attended the latest meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Group for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 5 February 2026.
The meeting was chaired by MLA, Minister for Agriculture,
Environment and Rural Affairs from the Northern Ireland
Executive. The attending ministers from the UK Government were
MP, Secretary of State for
Environment Food and Rural Affairs; Baroness , Minister for Biosecurity, Borders and Animals; and
Dame DBE, Minister for Food
Security and Rural Affairs. MSP, Cabinet Secretary for
Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands; and MSP, Minister for Agriculture
and Connectivity attended from the Scottish Government.
The meeting opened with a discussion on allocations for the UK
Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund. Devolved government ministers
expressed disappointment that the Barnett formula had been used
as it did not reflect the funding allocations from previous
funding rounds, nor the relative size of the fishing sector in
each of the devolved nations.
Next IMG discussed engagement and progress on the EU UK SPS
Agreement negotiations. Devolved government ministers noted and
appreciated the good level of UKG engagement with them to date
and emphasised the importance of this continuing throughout the
negotiation process. Ministers also agreed the importance of
maintaining effective border and biosecurity arrangements whilst
the SPS Agreement is being negotiated and implemented. Ministers
identified that the process for making legislation to implement
an agreement across the UK was a significant issue because the
process may need to account for devolved legislatures processing
and scrutinising regulations to implement the agreement.
Following this, ministers discussed the UKG Farm Profitability
Review (Batters Review) and the UKG Food Strategy, both of which
are for England but include recommendations and actions which may
affect the other UK nations. Ministers highlighted the need for
collaborative working and Defra expressed interest in learning
from the devolved governments.
The meeting concluded with Ministers agreeing that legislation to
ban the use of peat in horticulture is best done by a joined-up
approach and Defra committed to tabling timeline options. Defra
ministers shared devolved government ministers' concerns that
proposed changes to UK work visa rules would impact the
availability of sheep shearers and stressed that discussions were
continuing within the UK Government.
Ministers agreed to hold the next IMG in March 2026 ahead of the
upcoming legislature elections in Scotland and Wales. A
communique regarding this meeting will be published on the UK
Government website at: Inter-Ministerial Group for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs communiqués.
