Mary Henry (Independent)

Schedule 1 refers to activities to which Part IV applies. If two or more activities falling within the same paragraph under a particular heading of this Schedule are carried on in the same installation by the same person, for the purpose of any threshold specified in the paragraph, the capacities of these activities shall be aggregated.

I am interested in matters relating to food and drink. Paragraph 7.3 refers to commercial brewing, distilling or malting installations, where production capacity exceeds 100,000 tonnes per year, not included in paragraph 7.8. Paragraph 7.8(b) refers to vegetable raw materials with a finished product production capacity greater than 300 tonnes per day – averaged on a quarterly basis. Brewing is based on barley, a vegetable raw material. If the capacities of activities are to be aggregated, are we to aggregate the 100,000 tonnes per year with the 300 tonnes per day multiplied by the number of days per year on which production takes place? This is very complicated for someone who wishes to stay within the law. I presume the provision is in place because the Government does not wish the legislation to apply to those involved in home brewing but I might be wrong. I found the Bill quite difficult to follow.