Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales report: April 2018 - March 2022

The Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales is an independent body that advises Welsh Ministers on the Agricultural Minimum Wage arrangements and terms and conditions of employment for agricultural, horticultural and forestry workers in Wales. It also promotes careers in agriculture, horticulture and forestry, the development of an appropriately skilled workforce and provides additional advice to Ministers as required.

The minimum rates of pay and allowances and other minimum terms and conditions to which agricultural workers, including those who work within the horticulture and forestry sectors, are entitled to by law are set out in the Agricultural Wages (Wales) Order (“AWO”).

Annually, the Panel review the Agricultural Minimum Wage (“AMW”) arrangements, and the other provisions of the AWO, propose changes and consult on their proposals before submitting them in draft to Welsh Ministers for consideration.

In arriving at their decisions, the Panel draw on their expertise and consideration of the economic conditions in the industry at the time, as well as all legal requirements (such as the National Minimum Wage). This ensures agricultural workers receive fair, regularly reviewed, wages, allowances and terms of employment, further contributing to the Welsh Government’s tackling poverty agenda by safeguarding household incomes, especially within rural communities.

Once passed by the Senedd, the AWO has legal authority in Wales.

The Panel is made up of representatives from the Farmers Union of Wales, National Farmers Union Cymru, Unite the Union and three independent members.

The Welsh Government sponsorship division provides the secretariat function for the Panel, and an external law firm advise the Panel on any legal issues arising and legal compliance generally. They also prepare the draft AWOs which give effect to the decisions of the Panel.

This is the third Report on the progress and operation of the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales covering the period from April 2018 – March 2022.

Guidance for employers and workers, details of the current pay and allowance levels and the minimum terms and conditions are available on the Welsh Government website: Legislation and guidance: Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales.

Establishing the panel

The Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales (“the Panel”) was established under the Agricultural Sector (Wales) Act 2014 (“the 2014 Act”). The Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales (Establishment) Order 2016 came into force on 1 April 2016.

Remit of the panel

In accordance with the 2014 Act, the Panel has a statutory remit to:

• draft agricultural wages orders to stipulate fair minimum rates of pay and allowances for agricultural workers, consult on such orders, and submit them in draft for the approval of the Welsh Ministers;
• promote careers in agriculture; and
• provide advice to the Welsh Ministers as required on matters relating to the agricultural sector in Wales.

In accordance with the Panel Order the Panel has the responsibility to:

• determine its own and sub-committee procedures;
• establish, in addition to the Skills Development and Training Sub-Committee, other sub-committees as appropriate; and
• obtain expert advice as considered necessary.

The Welsh Ministers may specify further functions of the Panel.

Wages Orders are legally enforceable by Welsh Government, which also has a duty to investigate complaints raised about non-compliance with the provisions.

The Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales (Establishment) Order 2016 requires the Panel to meet at least three times per year.

Membership

The 2014 Act requires that the Panel membership adequately reflects the interests of the agricultural sector and members are equipped with the necessary skills and expertise to perform their duties effectively.

The Panel consists of members representing employers and employees, and three independent members appointed by the Welsh Ministers. The structure is based on the outcome of public consultation and input from key stakeholders.

The Panel consists of 7 members:

• an independent Chair;
• two independent members with relevant expertise;
• two representatives from UNITE the Union;
• one representative from the Farmers Union of Wales (FUW); and
• one representative from the National Farming Union (NFU Cymru).

The independent members were selected via the Public Appointment process and appointed by the Welsh Ministers. The term of office for Independent Members is four years with the possibility of reappointment up to a maximum of eight years.

During the period of this Report a new Chair and a new independent member for Education were appointed in April 2021.

Representative members are nominated by their respective organisations. They are appointed for the first instance for three years and can be nominated for reappointment as often as their respective organisations wish. NFU Cymru, FUW and UNITE have guaranteed representation on the Panel to achieve a balance of interests. For details of the members from April 2018 to April 2021 and the current members please see Annex 2.

Role of the members

The main role of the independent members is to apply their expert views in discussions on key issues and to advise on the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.

The role of the representative members is to apply their expertise in representing the interest of their members on the key issues in Panel discussions and to advise on the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.

The key responsibility on all Panel members is to ensure that fair and reasonable draft orders are brought forward on matters relating to minimum pay levels and relevant terms and conditions for agricultural workers in Wales as defined in the Agriculture Sector (Wales) Act 2014.

Supporting the panel's operation

The Panel’s operation is supported by a secretariat provided by Welsh Government, equivalent to 0.8 of a full-time member of staff at Management Band Three. The secretariat facilitates meetings, prepares papers, takes minutes of meetings and other tasks as required by the Panel. Welsh Government policy officials also attend all Panel meetings.

In addition, an external legal firm advises the Panel on arising legal issues including drafting Agricultural Wages Orders.

The Panel’s website is a remote platform hosted by Welsh Government and managed by the Panel Manager: Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales

The Panel has no budget of its own but uses funds allocated by Welsh Government. Limited funding is available to commission studies and research on specific areas the Panel wish to consider to support their decision-making process. The approval of the Welsh Ministers is required for obtaining any advice or information that may incur costs.

Expenditure covers the Panel’s expenses and the cost of legal advice and has amounted to the following:

• 2018-2019 – £20,367
• 2019-2020 – £20,383
• 2020-2021 – £13,163* (plus an additional £11,878 with regards to the recruitment of a new Chair and independent members)
• 2021-2022 – £33,108

*The financial expenditure in 2020/2021 was decreased due to meetings being held virtually through the COVID pandemic

Any enquiries, complaints or concerns about the Panel or the Orders should be submitted to the Panel Manager. Matters will be dealt with in strict confidence. Contact details for the Panel Manager are included in Annex 2.

Enforcement of Agricultural Wages Orders

Agricultural Wages Orders are enforced by Welsh Government.

Welsh Government officials handle enquiries and complaints from both employers and workers.

Suspected noncompliance can be reported to:

Helpline: 0300 060 4400

Email: SLMEnquiries@gov.wales

Post:  Agricultural Minimum Wage Team

Welsh Government Office,
County Hall,
Spa Road East,
Llandrindod Wells,
Powys   LD1 5LG

All complaints are treated as confidential.

The Panel’s main focus has been on undertaking a review of the Agricultural Wages Order whilst still continuing the work on enhancing skills and career development within the agricultural sector.

With the UK having left the European Union there is much uncertainty in the agricultural sector not only from a labour availability point of view but also in terms of changes to agricultural policy. Labour and skills shortages are seen as key challenges facing the industry. Agriculture and food manufacturing are amongst those sectors that benefited considerably from the availability of migrant workers in the UK. The reliance on foreign workers, such as European migrants, in food processing was particularly high in the UK as a whole with 40% of employees foreign born and over 20% of workers employed as casual migrant labour.

The exit from the European Union presented challenges and opportunities which have been considered by the Panel in the decision-making process. In the Panel’s view it was imperative the Welsh agriculture, horticulture and food processing sectors continue to have the dedicated workforce needed for their continued success after Brexit and they would ensure the provisions of the Wages Order were non-discriminatory and fair rates of pay and conditions applied for all workers. The sector had to be promoted as an attractive and rewarding career option for all and it needed to be capable of increasing the number of young people entering the industry – currently of those that gain degrees in agriculture only 10 - 13% go into farming. Reliance on a well-trained and motivated workforce will remain vital.

The Panel meets on a regular basis with the frequency of meetings having increased in more recent years due to significant changes made to the Order.

From September 2020 all Panel meetings took place via Microsoft teams due to the Covid pandemic. Only meeting number 30 was held in a hybrid format.

Summaries of the meetings are published on the Panel’s website along with this and previous Annual Reports:

Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales

Meeting Number 8 (9 April 2018)       

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 9 April 2018

The Panel discussed:

• The issue of guidance for the Agricultural Wages (Wales) Order 2018;
• How volunteer workers and Apprentices could be provided for within future Orders;
• The collection of relevant Labour Marker Information required to modernise the Order;
• Whether to change the structure of future Orders to that of one minimum rate for all grades and ages of workers with top up payments related to skills as was the case in Scotland.

Meeting Number 9 (24 April 2018)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 24 April 2018

The Panel discussed:

• The planned review of Agricultural Wages Orders in Wales – simplifying them wherever possible.

Meeting Number 10 (14 June 2018)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 14 June 2018

The Panel discussed:

• New high-level research on Labour Market Intelligence which had been released;
• The way forward on Orders including timetabling, policy direction and approach to the processes involved.

Meeting Numbers 11 and 12 (4 September 2018)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meetings: 4 September 2018

A guest speaker from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), gave the Panel an informal presentation on the position now and post Brexit and the implications for Wales.

The Panel discussed:

• The commissioned study on Labour Market Intelligence which would inform the Panel’s work.
• Proposed pay rates and changes to terms and conditions with regards to the draft Wages Order for 2019.

Meeting Number 13 (29 October 2018)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 29 October 2018

The Panel discussed:

• Responses to the public consultation on the proposals for the Agricultural Wages Order.
• How best to advertise any future public consultations that may take place – both in the written press and as well as online and the use of social media.
• The figures and conditions of employment as set out in the proposals were re-affirmed and would be progressed with the draft Order sent to the Minister.
• A paper on Employment Status stating the differences between an employee, a worker and a self-employed person.
• A new and simplified Impact Assessment process which combined all mandatory risk assessments into one document and should help speed up the process of legislative changes.

Meeting Number 14 (17 January 2019)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 17 January 2019

The Panel discussed:

• An updated version of the paper on Employment Status including a checklist for people to use.
• The obtaining of Labour Market information required by the Panel.
• A progress update on the Agricultural Wages Order 2019.

Meeting Number 15 (15 April 2019)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 15 April 2019 

Neil Beveridge was welcomed onto the Panel as a representative of Unite the Union replacing Paddy McNaught.

The Panel discussed:

• The modernisation of the Agricultural Wages Order to ensure it was relevant in modern times and also relevant specifically to Wales (including timescales).

Meeting Number 16 (17 June 2019)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 17 June 2019 

Mark Alexander (Head of Agriculture, Sustainable Development Division) was welcomed as a guest to the meeting.

The Panel discussed:

• An update on potentially obtaining statistical data from Farming Connect.
• Improving the response rate to the public consultation on the proposals for future Agricultural Wages Orders via advertising in printed publications.
• A summary of the Fair Work (Wales) Commission Report which was presented along with specific recommendations with regard to the work of the Panel (see Annex 1)
• A new grading structure for the modernised Order.
• A report by the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee (CLAC) of the Welsh Government concerning two areas of the 2019 Order.

Meeting Number 17 (2 September 2019)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 2 September 2019

Daryl Williams was welcomed back onto the Panel as a representative of Unite the Union replacing Neil Beveridge.

The Panel discussed:

• Advertising the public consultation for the proposed draft Agricultural Wages Order 2020.
• Legal amendments / clarifications required within the 2020 Order and the accompanying guidance document.
• Proposed pay rates and changes to terms and conditions with regards to the draft Wages Order for 2020.
• Investigating the feasibility of paying the Real Living Wage within three years as per the recommendation of the Fair Work (Wales) Commission (see Annex 1)

Meeting Number 18 (24 October 2019)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 24 October 2019

The Panel discussed:

• An update regarding Labour Market in agriculture data and the means of gathering such data.
• Responses to the public consultation on proposed changes in the Agricultural Wages Order 2020.
• Amendments to the guidance document to employers and employees with regards to cross-border farms.

The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage 2020/21 had not yet been published by the UK Government.

Meeting Number 19 (22 November 2019)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 22 November 2019 

The Panel discussed:

• An update regarding Labour Market in agriculture data and the means of gathering such data.
• The feasibility of paying the Real Living Wage in the agricultural sector within three years as per the recommendation of the Fair Work (Wales) Commission (see Annex 1).
• A proposal from Unite the Union on the re-banding of the current grades when modernising the Order.
• Clarification on rewording of the articles regarding Agricultural Sick Pay and Holiday Entitlement for the 2020 Order.

It was noted the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage 2020/21 would probably not be published until after the General Election.

Meeting Number 20 (31 January 2020)

Agricultural Advisory Panel Meeting: 31 January 2020 

The Panel discussed:

• A further update regarding obtaining baseline Labour Market Information data and the undertaking of a telephone and online survey.
• An update with statistics on how long it took to complete an Apprenticeship.
• The National Minimum Wage / National Living Wage rates had been published resulting in smaller differentials between grades and Grades 1 and 2 being the same rate.
• Proposals regarding the re-banding of the current grades on the modernised Order.

Meeting Number 21 (6 March 2020)

Agricultural Advisory Panel Meeting: 6 March 2020

Brian Troake was welcomed onto the Panel as a representative of Unite the Union replacing Daryl Williams from September 2020.

The Panel discussed:

• Discussions held by the Skills Development Sub-Committee, in particular the organisation of a workshop to get all parties with interest in skills and training within the agricultural sector around a table to discuss who to take this forward.
• How to safeguard pay to ensure workers do not lose out when the new model comes into effect.
• A paper on how “On Call” was to be interpreted.
• A further update regarding obtaining baseline Labour Market Information data.

The Panel agreed the new grading structure terminology as Grade A to E.

Meeting Number 22 (7 September 2020)

Agricultural Advisory Panel Meeting: 7 September 2020

The Panel discussed:

• Work being undertaken to obtain data with regards to the Agricultural Wages Order.
• Legal amendments / clarifications required within the 2021 Order and the accompanying guidance document.
• Proposed pay rates and changes to terms and conditions with regards to the draft Wages Order for 2021.

Meeting Number 23 (22 September 2020)

Agricultural Advisory Panel Meeting: 22 September 2020

Mark Alexander (Head of Agriculture, Sustainable Development Division) was welcomed as a guest to the meeting.

The Panel discussed:

• Amended text of the 2021 Order regarding Parental Bereavement Leave, On-Call Allowance and Accommodation Offset Allowance.
• Proposed pay rates and changes to terms and conditions with regards to the draft Wages Order for 2021.

Meeting Number 24 (23 November 2020)

Agricultural Advisory Panel Meeting: 23 November 2020

The Panel discussed:

• Amendments required in the 2021 Order for the payment of apprentices
• Responses to the public consultation on proposed changes in the Agricultural Wages Order 2021.
• New Apprenticeship Recruitment Incentives.
• An update on the work being undertaken to obtain data with regards to the Agricultural Wages Order.

The Panel agreed to proceed with the proposals as consulted upon.

Meeting Number 25 (27 April 2021)

Agricultural Advisory Panel Meeting: 27 April 2021

The newly appointed Chair of the Panel, Dr Nerys Llewelyn Jones, was welcomed onto the Panel, replacing Dr Lionel Walford.

A new independent member was also welcomed onto the Panel – Janatha Stout replacing Peter Rees.

The Panel discussed:

• An update on the 2021 Order currently under consideration by Welsh Government.
• The Terms of Reference of the Agricultural Advisory Panel.
• The remit and objectives of the Skills and Development Sub-Committee.

Meeting Number 26 (11 May 2021)

Agricultural Advisory Panel Meeting: 11 May 2021

This additional meeting was called specifically to look at the queries received from Welsh Government regarding the draft Agricultural Wages Order 2021.

Meeting Number 27 (27 May 2021)

Agricultural Advisory Panel Meeting: 25 May 2021

• An update on the 2021 Order.
• The Terms of Reference of the Agricultural Advisory Panel.
• The Sub-Committee on Skills Development and Training.

Meeting Number 28 (5 July 2021)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 5 July 2021

The Panel discussed:

• An update on the 2021 Order.
• Legislative Changes and Amendments for the 2022 Order.
• Potential amendments to the AAP webpages.

Meeting Number 29 (6 and 7 September 2021)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 6 September 2021 

The Panel discussed:

• An update on the 2021 Order including a further public consultation and a request for the order to apply retrospectively to April 2021.
• How the qualifications system works in Wales.
• Proposed pay rates and changes to terms and conditions with regards to the draft Wages Order for 2022.

Meeting Number 30 (7 October 2021)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 7 October 2021

The Panel discussed:

• An update on the second public consultation with regards to the 2021 Order.
• A Webinar regarding the Panel and the Order on 26 October.
• An update regarding the proposed retrospective effect of the 2021 Order.
• A review of other clauses in the 2022 Order.
• Terms of Reference for the Skills Development and Training Sub-Committee.

Meeting Number 31 (23 November 2021)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 23 November 2021

The Panel discussed:

• The Farming Connect Webinar undertaken on 26 October regarding the work of the Panel and the Order.
• Responses to the second public consultation with regards to the 2021 Order
• The guidance document for Employers and Workers to accompany the 2021 Order.
• The draft consultation document with regards to the 2022 Order.

Meeting Number 32 (25 January 2022)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 25 January 2022 

Victoria Jones (new Head of Agriculture, Sustainable Development Division) was welcomed as a guest to the meeting.

The Panel discussed:

• Amendments to the Consultation Distribution List
• An update on the 2021 Order (renamed the Agricultural Wages (Wales) Order 2022)
• An update on the accompanying guidance document
• An update on the 2022 Order (renamed Agricultural Wages (Wales) (No 2) Order 2022) – the consultation is live until 7 February.

Meeting Number 33 (8 March 2022)

Agricultural Advisory Panel meeting: 8 March 2022

The Panel discussed:

• An update on the work being undertaken to obtain data with regards to the Agricultural Wages Order.
• Potential back-pay resulting from the retrospective effect of the 2022 Order.
• Consultation responses with regard to the 2022(2) Order.
• Apprentice pay grades in the 2022(2) Order.

The Panel agreed to proceed with the proposals as consulted upon.

Agricultural Wales (Wales) Order 2019

The Agricultural Wages (Wales) Order 2019 (legislation.gov.uk)

The Agricultural Wages (Wales) Order 2019 came into force on 1 April 2019. The accompanying “Guidance for Workers and Employers” was updated and made available both online and in hard copy.

The 2019 Order retained the grading structure of previous Orders to ensure continuity and maintain the incentive to increase skills levels – including Schedules of applicable awards and certificates of competence which help determine the Grade of the worker.

Minimum pay rates were increased for all grades. Allowances were also increased. 

The definition of “apprentice” in article 11 of the Order was amended to clarify an apprentice can be any age in the first year of their apprenticeship.

The definition of “qualifying days” was amended to ensure qualifying days includes days on which agricultural workers are taking annual leave, bereavement leave, family leave or on periods of sickness absence.

Agricultural Wales (Wales) Order 2020

The Agricultural Wages (Wales) Order 2020 (legislation.gov.uk)

The Agricultural Wages (Wales) Order 2020 came into force on 1 April 2020. The accompanying “Guidance for Workers and Employers” was updated and made available both online and in hard copy.

The 2020 Order retained the grading structure of previous Orders to ensure continuity and maintain the incentive to increase skills levels – including Schedules of applicable awards and certificates of competence which help determine the Grade of the worker.

Minimum pay rates were increased for all grades. Allowances were also increased.

Article 15 of the Order was amended to clarify the provisions regarding the Accommodation Offset Allowance.

Article 21 of the Order was amended to clarify the provisions regarding the entitlement to Agricultural Sick Pay.

Articles 31 and 34 were amended with regards to determining an average weeks’ pay in relation to Annual Leave. This was due to a change in UK Employment Law.

The Agricultural Wages (Wales) Order 2021

The programme of work undertaken by the Panel to modernise and streamline the Agricultural Wages Order resulted in major changes. The technical and legal nature of the changes lead to delays in the 2021 Order coming into force. The Order was not finalised during the period of this report.

The Agriculture Sector (Wales) Act enables the Panel to appoint sub-committees and places a statutory duty to establish a permanent Skills Development and Training Sub-Committee. There is a statutory duty to include Lantra and the Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs as members. It is chaired by an independent member and comprises representation from the employers and workers representatives as well as experts in skills development. For details of the members from April 2018 to April 2021 and the current members please see Annex 2.

The Sub-Committee was established in 2016. During this reporting period it has met on four occasions.

The Sub-Committee considered various reports on skills and training development in the sector to inform their work. They instigated work to explore the needs of the sector and to review relevant research, reports and literature to inform their view and build robust advice to drive improvements.

Further work was undertaken on Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in the industry. The findings of two independent reviews showed the importance of CPD as a means of driving further professionalism, resilience and prosperity within the agriculture industry. The Sub-Committee explored the possibilities of expanding the Farming Connect Lifelong Learning and Development Programme which provides individuals with CPD evidence that can be downloaded and used for a variety of purposes, including supporting a curriculum vitae (CV) (for job applications) and as evidence to satisfy regulatory requirements where appropriate. With some 8,800 businesses already registered with Farming Connect, equating to over 17,000 individuals, coverage within the Welsh agriculture industry is extensive and still growing.

A new Storfa Sgilliau / Skills Store tool on the Farming Connect section of the Business Wales website launched in April 2020. This acts as a secure online record of all training and attendance under the Farming Connect programme as well as activities not directly delivered by Farming Connect but where they support such groups to populate participant records. The MySpace facility which allows individuals to upload addition personal information like qualifications, certificates and awards to their record was also outlined.

Work began on planning for a broad participation Skills Workshop in order to develop coherent thinking about advice to give to the Minister regarding skills requirements for the agricultural sector. However, this work was put on hold due to the demands of the Order on the Panel.

Report of the Fair Work Commission

In March 2019 the Fair Work Commission published their report entitled “Fair Work Wales”.

The Commission made a total of 48 recommendations including two for the Panel to consider:

R7(a) in its current consideration of modernising the Agriculture Wages Orders the Agricultural Advisory Panel should take full account of this Commission’s definition and characteristics of fair work, including the integrated equality requirement, and serious consideration should be given to ending the lower rate for those below age 25.

R7(b) The Agricultural Advisory Panel should be asked to investigate and report on the feasibility of paying the Welsh Living Wage (equating to the Real Living Wage) in Welsh agriculture, phased in over a three year period.

The Welsh Government accepted, in principle, all the recommendations in the report.

The Panel have discussed the Real Living Wage, with the members of Unite the Union particularly in favour during the annual wage negotiations. However, by a majority vote, the Panel have concluded it has not been affordable for businesses to do so.

The Minister formally requested the Panel investigate the feasibility of the Commission’s recommendation 7b about the payment of the Welsh Living Wage with a report detailing the Panel’s conclusions and advice, including the most appropriate timescale for any implementation. The Panel is considering its response.

Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales – membership 

The Panel consists of 7 members:

• an independent Chair;
• two independent members with relevant expertise;
• two representatives from UNITE the Union;
• one representative from the Farmers Union of Wales (FUW); and
• one representative from the National Farming Union (NFU Cymru).

The independent members were selected via the Public Appointment process and appointed by the Welsh Ministers. Representative members are nominated by their respective organisations.

Membership – 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2021

Dr Lionel Walford             Independent Chair

Peter Rees                       Independent Member (Education)

Stephen Hughson             Independent Member (Agriculture)

Patrick McNaught             Unite the Union (until April 2019)

Neil Beveridge                  Unite the Union (April 2019 to September 2019)

Daryl Williams                  Unite the Union (September 2019 to September 2020)

Brian Troake                    Unite the Union (from September 2020)

Ivan Monckton                  Unite the Union

Darren Williams                Farmers Union of Wales (FUW)

Will Prichard                     National Farmers Union of Wales (NFU Cymru)

Current Membership – from 1 April 2021

Dr Nerys Llewelyn Jones  Independent Chair

Janatha Stout                   Independent Member (Education)

Stephen Hughson             Independent Member (Agriculture)

Brian Troake                    Unite the Union

Ivan Monckton                  Unite the Union

Darren Williams                Farmers Union of Wales (FUW)

Will Prichard                     National Farmers Union of Wales (NFU Cymru)

Terms of Reference for the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales:

Terms of reference: Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales 

Permanent Sub-Committee on Skills Development and Training – Membership

The permanent Sub-Committee on Skills Development and Training was established in accordance with the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales (Establishment) Order 2016. Membership includes experts drawn from across the industry with a breadth of expertise, knowledge and understanding of the skills and training needs of the agricultural sector as well as career progression opportunities. There are representative members of YFC and Lantra as stipulated in the Order.

Membership – 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2021

Dr Lionel Walford             Independent Chair

Peter Rees                       Independent Member (Education)

Stephen Hughson             Independent Member (Agriculture)

Alun Elidyr Edwards         Farmers Union of Wales (FUW)

Alex Higgs                        National Farmers Union of Wales (NFU Cymru)

Patrick McNaught             Unite the Union (until April 2019)

Neil Beveridge                  Unite the Union (April 2019 to September 2019)

Daryl Williams                  Unite the Union (September 2019 to September 2020)

Brian Troake                    Unite the Union (from September 2020)

Ivan Monckton                  Unite the Union

Kevin Thomas                  Lantra

Nia Lloyd                          Wales YFC

Sian Thomas                    Wales YFC (from November 2018)

David Jones                     Coleg Cambria (until October 2019)

Iain Clarke                        Coleg Cambria (from October 2019)

Current Membership – from 1 April 2021

Dr Nerys Llewelyn Jones  Independent Chair

Janatha Stout                   Independent Member (Education)

Stephen Hughson             Independent Member (Agriculture)

Alun Elidyr Edwards         Farmers Union of Wales (FUW)

Alex Higgs                        National Farmers Union of Wales (NFU Cymru)

Brian Troake                    Unite the Union

Ivan Monckton                  Unite the Union

Kevin Thomas                  Lantra

Nia Lloyd                          Wales YFC

Sian Thomas                    Wales YFC

Iain Clarke                        Coleg Cambria

Terms of Reference for the Sub-Committee on Skills Development and Training:

Terms of reference for the Permanent Sub-committee on Skills Development and Training: Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales 

The Panel Manager can be contacted in the following ways:

Email:          SLMEnquiries@gov.wales

Post:           The Agricultural Advisory Panel Manager

Welsh Government,
County Hall,
Spa Road East,
Llandrindod Wells,
Powys 
LD1 5LG

Links to legislation

The Agriculture Sector (Wales) Act 2014  

Agricultural Sector (Wales) Act 2014 (legislation.gov.uk)

The Agriculture Sector (Wales) Act 2014 makes provisions for:

• the establishment of the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales
• the making of orders which set the terms and conditions for persons employed in agriculture in Wales (agricultural workers)
• the enforcement of such terms and conditions.

The Agriculture Sector (Wales) Act 2014 (Continuation of Effect) Order 2018

The Agricultural Sector (Wales) Act 2014 (Continuation of Effect) Order 2018 (legislation.gov.uk)

The effect of section 14(1) of the Agricultural Sector (Wales) Act 2014 (“the Act”) is that the Act is to lapse on 30 July 2018, unless an order is made by the Welsh Ministers under section 14(2) providing that the Act is to continue in effect. This Order is such an order and provides that the Act is to continue in effect.

The Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales (Establishment) Order 2016  

The Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales (Establishment) Order 2016 (legislation.gov.uk)

The Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales (Establishment) Order 2016 establishes the Panel as an independent advisory body to the Welsh Ministers.  The Panel’s functions are to promote careers in agriculture, to prepare agricultural wages orders in draft, consult on such orders to submit them to the Welsh Ministers and to advise the Welsh Ministers on matters relating to the agricultural sector in Wales.