(St Austell and Newquay)
(Con):...I acknowledge the role played by
the National Farmers Union in bringing
the matter to my attention and lobbying on this issue. It has
spoken up for its members, ensuring that their voices have been
heard. I thank the Minister and the former Local Government
Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton (Mr Jones), for
listening carefully to the arguments, agreeing to take this measure
and ensuring that the matter is corrected. I welcome the Bill and
trust that it will pass unopposed with wholehearted support from
across the House so that it can reach the statute book as quickly
as possible to support this sector...
Mr (Nuneaton)
(Con):...I am pleased in many ways to have played a
small part in the Bill. My hon. Friend the Member for St Austell
and Newquay apprehended me in the Division Lobby one evening to
explain the challenge he was seeing in his area as a result of this
Court of Appeal ruling and the problems it was likely to cause
growers. We subsequently had meetings with the National Farmers Union, which put a
coherent and collegiate case for restoring the status
quo...
(Mansfield) (Con): My
hon. Friend mentions the NFU’s contribution. Will he join me in
showing appreciation for its work in representing our farming and
agricultural industries, particularly when we are deciding on the
future of those industries? Does he agree it is important that
the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in
particular, continues working with the NFU to make sure we get
the policy right?
Mr Jones: My hon. Friend makes an extremely
important and pertinent point. The agricultural industry is very
different from many other industries in this country. This
country needs to be as self-sufficient as possible in food
production, and we also need to consider that it is often
difficult for producers in the industry to recover their costs.
For example, there has been a perennial challenge for milk
producers, which have not been able to realise even the cost of
production. That is why organisations such as the NFU are
extremely important in bringing such issues to the fore so that
we maintain our food security...
Mr (Middlesbrough South and
East Cleveland) (Con):...The Government should be
congratulated on acting so swiftly to rectify this wrong and on
demonstrating common sense. This is so clearly the right course
of action that there is no controversy anywhere in this House,
and the Bill has received full support from
the NFU. I pay tribute to
the NFU, because I know full well the value
of the work it does in supporting farmers in rural East
Cleveland. Indeed, I had the pleasure of going on a farm visit
with the NFU recently to see Capon Hall farm
and Peter Humphrey. That is exactly the kind of work
the NFU does day in, day out, and it
should be saluted...
(Taunton Deane)
(Con):...The south-west region, where I come from, is a
rural region with a good climate for gardening, growing and
horticulture, and it supports so many businesses in the sector, not
least in Taunton Deane, which is one reason why I particularly
wanted to speak in this debate. I also wanted to speak because in a
previous life I worked for the National Farmers Union and got quite
involved with the horticultural industry, and I was for many years
a horticultural and gardening journalist and broadcaster, so this
subject is close to my heart...
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for
Housing, Communities and Local Government (Rishi
Sunak):...I thank the National Farmers Union for its strong
support for the Bill. We have worked closely with the NFU to make
sure that nurseries benefit from the exemption in the Bill. I am
grateful for its invaluable insight and expertise, which has helped
to bring these effective measures to the House...
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