HL Deb 24 October 2000 vol 618 cc19-20WA
Lord Dubs

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When the bilateral concordat between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales will come into force. [HL4331]

The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Hayman)

Letters formalising the bilateral concordat between this department and the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales were exchanged on 17 October 2000. The concordat, which is an agreement on the working relationship between the National Assembly for Wales Agriculture Department (NAWAD) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, establishes for all matters relating to the Welsh Assembly's responsibilities for agriculture, fisheries and food, an agreed framework for co-operation between the administrations.

The Government are looking forward to continuing the close and constructive relationship that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has developed with NAWAD following the introduction of devolution on 1 July 1999.

Copies have been lodged in the Library of the House and the document is on the Internet at http://www.maff.gov.uk/aboutmaf/devolve/devolve.htm. The Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales is placing copies in the Library of the Welsh Assembly.