Chapter 2: Intervention in Agricultural Markets Section 21: Exceptional market conditions: powers available to Secretary of State
Section 21 makes new powers available to the Secretary of State to intervene in agricultural markets in the event of a severe market disturbance, or the threat of such a disturbance, by providing financial assistance to farmers in England whose incomes are being affected by those exceptional market conditions or by operating public intervention and private storage aid schemes.
	Under this provision, during a period of exceptional market conditions, the Secretary of State may: give or agree to give financial assistance by way of grants, loans, guarantees or in any other form, under any conditions he considers appropriate, including targeting payments to particular sectors and geographical areas; and exercise the public intervention and private storage aid powers which are available to him as he considers appropriate. The intention is that the Secretary of State will be able to apply the appropriate measures at short notice to resolve the exceptional situation at hand.
	New powers are created so that any financial assistance or intervention scheme can be tailored to the domestic market, rather than relying on those which would exist in retained EU legislation that is designed to apply to the wider European agricultural market.
	Subsection (1) states that this provision applies during the period for which the declaration of exceptional market conditions made under section 20 is in effect.
	Subsection (2) provides that the Secretary of State may give or agree to give financial assistance to farmers whose incomes are or could be negatively affected by the exceptional market conditions detailed in the declaration made under section 20.
	Subsection (3) allows the Secretary of State to use the public intervention and private storage aid schemes in response to the exceptional market conditions if he considers it appropriate.
	Subsection (4) states that financial assistance given to farmers under subsection (2) may take the form of payments, loans, guarantees, or any other form the Secretary of State considers appropriate.
	Subsections (5) and (6) explain that financial assistance may be given subject to any conditions which the Secretary of State considers appropriate, including how such assistance is to be repaid or otherwise made good.
	Subsection (7) states that the Secretary of State may give or agree to give financial assistance after the declaration under section 20 has ceased to have effect, as long as the application for this assistance was submitted while the declaration was in force.