Animal Welfare Standards: Imports and Exports Neale Hanvey
(Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath) (Alba) 1. Whether he is taking steps to
improve animal welfare standards applicable to food imports and
exports.(901268) The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs (Steve Barclay) We are committed to maintaining high
animal welfare and food standards. Since leaving the EU, we have
put in place strong controls on imports, and we are using Brexit
freedoms to...Request free trial
Animal Welfare Standards: Imports and Exports
(Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
(Alba)
1. Whether he is taking steps to improve animal welfare standards
applicable to food imports and exports.(901268)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
We are committed to maintaining high animal welfare and food
standards. Since leaving the EU, we have put in place strong
controls on imports, and we are using Brexit freedoms to
strengthen animal welfare standards even further by banning the
export of live animals for slaughter. [Interruption.]
Mr Speaker
Order. Can I say to the hon. Member for East Londonderry (Mr
Campbell) that we are in the middle of a question, and he has
just walked right in front of the Member asking it?
Yesterday, the UK Government implemented a border target
operating model in which a veterinarian must provide a health
certificate for meat imports from the EU. Meanwhile, the
UK-Australia free trade agreement, which came into effect six
months ago, is likely to lead to increased imports of low-cost
products produced in Australia using pesticides that are not
permitted in the UK and in the absence of veterinary checks.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals, Australia has lower welfare standards in many sectors,
such as eggs, pigmeat production and chicken. Does the Secretary
of State accept that this asymmetry on standards of animal
welfare is incoherent and poses a significant risk of
contaminating the food chain with banned pesticides?
The hon. Gentleman is mixing up two issues. He mentioned
Australia, and specifically eggs. If he actually looked at the
agreement with Australia, he would see that eggs are excluded, as
are pork and poultry. He is mixing that up with the issue of food
standards for imports from Europe. Of course, if we did what his
party would advocate and were still in the EU, there would be no
checks at all.
(Totnes) (Con)
This week, Ian Perks, a constituent of mine, had his entire
shipment seized in France by over-zealous French officials
because he missed out a single word on the export health
certificate. Can the Secretary of State please reassure me that
we will find arbitration methods to speed up the process of
challenging these completely ridiculous situations?
I know my hon. Friend champions very strongly the farming and
food sector in his constituency, and that he has raised this
issue with my right hon. Friend the Minister for Food, Farming
and Fisheries, who is actively engaged on it. Of course, a
proportionate approach should always be taken on these
issues.
Food Sector: Profits
(Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
2. Whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure profits
in the food sector are fairly distributed.(901269)
The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries ()
Powers in the Agriculture Act 2020 allow us to introduce
statutory codes of practice to improve market transparency and
ensure fairness in the supply chain. We will use these powers
whenever we find clear evidence of unfair practices, so that all
farmers get a fair price for their products.
Mr Sheerman
When will the Minister wake up to the fact that, since Brexit,
food prices have rocketed? My constituents cannot afford to buy
staple foods. Is it not the truth that farmers are struggling?
They are getting almost nothing for their milk, their potatoes
and the ordinary things that men and women buy in this country.
Where is the money from these higher prices going, because it is
not to the farmers?
I can tell the hon. Gentleman where the higher prices are: they
are in France and Germany. If we look at the value of a basket of
goods, we see that in the UK they are lower than they are in the
European Union. If we had followed his model or his advice, we
would still be in the EU. Our retailers, our farmers and our
processors are working together, and we want to see fairness in
the supply chain. We want fairness for the consumer, and also for
the farmer, the retailer and the processor.
(Ynys Môn) (Con)
Ynys Môn farmers and the farming community are important to food
production, and their profits are vital to our Anglesey island
economy. Does the Minister agree with Aled Jones, the president
of National Farmers Union Cymru, that Welsh Government
sustainable farming schemes will have “damaging consequences”,
including the potential loss of 5,500 jobs in the sector?
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for how she campaigns on behalf
of her constituents. I know that Welsh farmers are very concerned
about the Welsh Government’s approach to Welsh agriculture. Here
in England, we are trying to support farmers in producing
top-quality food and looking after the environment, and I think
the Welsh Government need to reflect on how they should influence
their farmers to do exactly the same.
Fly-tipping
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
3. What steps he taking is to support local authorities to reduce
litter and fly-tipping in cities.(901270)
(West Bromwich East)
(Con)
5. What steps his Department is taking to tackle
fly-tipping.(901272)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
I know what a blight litter and fly-tipping can be on local
communities, which is why we have provided nearly £1 million to
help councils purchase new bins and almost £1.2 million to combat
fly-tipping, while a further £1 million will be awarded in the
spring. We have more than doubled the maximum fines that councils
can issue, with all income from fly-tipping fines to be
reinvested in enforcement and cleaning up our streets from April,
to ensure that councils can invest in cracking down on crime.
Mr Speaker
Bring the Wombles back!
My constituents’ anger and frustration with litter and
fly-tipping has grown as £390 million-worth of Government cuts to
Newcastle City Council’s budget has impacted on services.
Children in particular complain to me about having to play in
rubbish. My 15-point plan for rubbish sets out some of the
additional powers councils need to address the scourge. Will the
Minister meet me to discuss it, and will he back Labour’s plan
for fixed penalty notices for fly-tippers?
This Government are taking tough action on fly-tipping, which is
why we have specifically allowed councils to collect those fines
and ringfence them for prosecution and cleaning up the streets.
It is important to note that it is Conservative councils that are
going above and beyond in dealing with the issue; Labour councils
are three times worse than Conservative councils at dealing with
fly-tipping crime.
Residents living in Cobham Road, Friar Park, in my constituency
have recently experienced fly-tipping in the alleyway behind
their properties. Despite this being reported by councillors four
months ago, Sandwell Council has still not removed that rubbish.
Apart from telling my constituents to vote Conservative in May,
what further steps can the Minister take to ensure that councils
fulfil their duty to remove rubbish quickly? My constituents in
West Bromwich East deserve better.
I am disappointed to hear once again about the fly-tipping that
my hon. Friend’s constituents are experiencing for the first time
in Friar Park. We are giving councils extra powers to crack down
on fly-tipping, but of course it is up to councils to use the
powers we are giving them, and it is important to note that the
Labour administration at Sandwell Council is once again the worst
performing council in the country, with zero prosecutions for
fly-tipping last year. That is despite this Conservative
Government raising fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping from
£400 to £1,000, and the Government enabling those councils—
Mr Speaker
I call .
(Brentford and Isleworth)
(Lab)
Hounslow Borough is plagued by fly-tipping. Despite the council
using all the powers it can to address the problem, spending
large amounts of money to do so, and having a good rate of
recycling, fly-tipping continues. What is the Government’s
timetable for responding to the Public Accounts Committee report
on the Government’s programme for waste reforms?
We are giving councils more powers than ever before to deal with
fly-tipping. We have raised the minimum penalty fine from £400 to
£1,000, and are allowing councils to ringfence that money for
prosecutions and cleaning up their streets. It is disappointing
to see from the stats that Labour councils are not using the
powers we are giving them as much as they should.
(New Forest West) (Con)
The penalties are insufficient. If offenders were garrotted with
their own intestines, there would be fewer of them.
It is important to note that councils can use the power that we
are giving them to apply increased penalty fines of £1,000. The
Government want those penalties to be used, so that we can drive
down fly- tipping in all council areas.
Horticultural Peat
(East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con)
4. When his Department plans to bring forward legislative
proposals to ban the sale of horticultural peat. (901271)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
This Government are absolutely clear about the need to end the
use of peat products in horticulture in England. The use of peat
has halved since we signalled that in 2020, and in August 2022 we
announced that we would ban the sale of peat for use in amateur
gardening. We remain committed to legislating for that when
parliamentary time allows. In the meantime, we are continuing to
work with the industry to explore ways to help it transition
completely to peat-free working.
UK peatlands store over 3 billion tonnes of carbon, which is more
than all the forests in the UK, France and Germany combined. The
Government were right to bring in proposals for a ban, but that
was back in 2022 and we have had no primary legislation yet. The
Royal Horticultural Society, which is committed to being 100%
peat-free, says that 40% of the industry is waiting for the
legislation, so it can get on with a ban across the whole sector.
The industry wants to do it, but it needs the legislation
urgently.
I too have met the RHS, and went to see its wonderful experiments
on peat-free products very recently, some of which the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs put money into. This
Government are committed to ending the use of peat in
horticulture in England, and we will legislate as soon as
parliamentary time allows. I can assure my hon. Friend that in
the meantime we are working closely with those who want peat-free
mediums, as well as the businesses supplying those growing
mediums. A wide variety of work is going on, including research
and experiments. As I have said, peat use has halved, and my hon.
Friend might be interested to know that the Forestry Commission
promises to go peat free—
Mr Speaker
Order. I call .
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister for that very long response. Peatlands in
Northern Ireland are extremely important. They absorb water and
moisture and improve the habitat. This question is as important
in this House as it is to us in Northern Ireland. Given that the
Northern Ireland Assembly will hopefully be up and running again,
will the Minister have discussions with the Department of
Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister, to ensure
that we can work together for the betterment of all?
Peatlands are such an important habitat, so it is important that
we work together. That is why we are putting huge amounts of
money into restoring peatlands in the uplands and the lowlands,
and we have just increased our sustainable farming incentive
payments for that. Farmers can get more than £900 a hectare to
start to re-wet peat.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Chesterfield) (Lab)
I agree entirely with what the hon. Member for East Worthing and
Shoreham () said. We welcome the Government’s intentions on
peatland, but the idea that this Government, after 14 years, is
so fizzing with new ideas that they do not quite have the
parliamentary time to get on with acting on those intentions is,
candidly, laughable. Will the Minister tell us what is actually
happening? We were expecting legislation in this year’s King’s
Speech, but it is not there. There is an urgent need for it, and
it is supported by industry. Will the Government just get on with
implementing one of the few popular policies they have left?
The hon. Gentleman should look at what we are doing on peatland;
I have just mentioned it. There is all the work to restore
peatlands, both upland and lowland, and all the work on pilot
projects so that farmers can transition to new crops to grow on
peatland. We have committed to banning the use of peat when
parliamentary time allows.
Dog Attacks
(Penrith and The Border)
(Con)
6. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure
public safety from dog attacks. (901273)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
We have taken quick and decisive action following the concerning
rise in fatalities; there have been nine recent fatalities. We
have now seen 30,000 dog owners registered as part of the
balanced approach we are taking.
(Penrith and The Border)
(Con)
Following the ban on XL bully dogs, owners will have applied for
a certificate of exemption, so that they can keep their dog, and
as part of that, the dog has to be neutered. The British
Veterinary Association has put forward a prudent neutering
suggestion: given the evidence that neutering large-breed dogs
before they are 18 months old can increase the risk of
developmental orthopaedic disorders and other medical conditions,
will the Government take the reasonable, small step of extending
the neutering deadline to the end of June 2025 for those dogs
under seven months of age at 31 January 2024?
Given my hon. Friend’s expertise on this issue as Parliament’s
only vet, I listen closely to what he proposes. As he knows,
neutering is a necessary population control, and we have already
responded to the greater risks to dogs of a young age by taking
action to extend the deadline. I am happy to take away the
proposal that he raises and look at the issue again.
(Wansbeck) (Lab)
The deadline for registering XL bullies was 12 o’clock yesterday.
I have been contacted by a constituent who missed the deadline
for financial and personal health reasons. Many people up and
down the country will genuinely have not been able to meet the
deadline. According to the legislation, they could face up to 14
years in prison, an unlimited fine and the destruction of that XL
bully pet. Can the Secretary of State advise me what steps people
in that position—people who genuinely wanted to register—might
take to remedy this awful position?
Across the House, we all want to ensure that a proportionate
approach is taken, and that people register as quickly as
possible. We all see the risks, in terms of the harm and the
attacks that the House has been united in addressing. I am happy
to look at any specific constituency case that the hon. Gentleman
raises, but the clear message is that people need to register as
quickly as possible.
Environmental Land Management Schemes
(Copeland) (Con)
7. What steps he is taking to support farmers through the
environmental land management schemes. (901274)
The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries ()
This year, we are increasing payment rates under environmental
land management schemes, through a 10% average uplift, and we are
adding about 50 new actions, so that farmers can access the most
comprehensive offer yet. The sustainable farming incentive and
countryside stewardship mid-tier application process will be
streamlined, making it easier for schemes to slot into farm
businesses.
I thank my right hon. Friend the Farming Minister for meeting my
farmers in Wasdale last year. I am sure that sure the journey
through the English Lake district was inspiration to provide
those payments for stone walls.
I have continued that conversation in a succession of farming
policy information suppers. There is a keen desire among farmers
to take advantage of ELMs; what they are overwhelmingly asking
for, though, is clarity about what to go for and when to go for
it to achieve the most successful, sustainable and profitable
farm business.
My hon. Friend is truly privileged to represent such a beautiful
part of England. We are collaborating with stakeholders to ensure
that our schemes work for them. We regularly communicate with
them through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affair’s farming blog, by meeting them at trade shows, through
ministerial visits, and through stakeholder organisations such as
the National Farmers Union, the Country Land and Business
Association and the Tenant Farmers Association. We are also
providing free business support to farmers and land managers in
England through the future farming resilience fund. Grants and
schemes for farmers are published through our single funding
page.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Cambridge) (Lab)
Last week’s report from the Government’s environmental watchdog,
the Office for Environmental Protection, was a damning indictment
of the Government’s record. It said they were “largely off
track”, with just four of the 40 targets being achieved. When it
comes to the environmental land management schemes, can the
Minister tell the House just how much environmental improvement
they have helped farmers to deliver so far?
I think that two months into a 25-year plan is probably too soon
to judge that plan. We are making huge strides with our
stakeholders and farmers, who are working up and down the country
to improve the environment. They have spent generations creating
that environment. We should celebrate what they have achieved,
and we should encourage them to do more. That is what the
sustainable farming incentive is designed to do, and what the
scheme is delivering.
The Minister doesn’t know, does he? The Government are spending
large amounts of public money, but they did not set up a system
to measure it. The new Secretary of State is generally on the
money, so I am sure he has asked this question: what we are
getting for the money? Let me try a simpler version of the
question. With ELMs so far, has there been environmental
improvement or environmental degradation, or is it simply “Don’t
know”?
These things are actually quite easy to see and to measure. If we
look at the hedgerows planted in England in the last decade, we
see that thousands of kilometres of hedgerow have been planted.
Large areas are being dedicated to biodiversity and creating food
for wild bird populations. That is what the SFI is delivering; it
is there to see. All the hon. Member needs to do is get out of
Cambridgeshire and look at some of those farms.
Windsor Framework: Horticulture
(Witham) (Con)
8. Whether he has had recent discussions with horticultural
businesses on the operation of the Windsor framework.
(901275)
The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries ()
DEFRA officials met Kings Seeds on 19 January. The Department
regularly meets a range of businesses, including through the
working group established with the Horticultural Trades
Association, which met most recently on 18 January.
The Minister will know that Kings Seeds is what is known as a
well established local business, having been based in Kelvedon
since 1888. It trades in horticultural seeds and is known for its
sweet peas, but as he will be aware, it cannot send its products
to Northern Ireland, which it says is because of barriers related
to the Windsor framework. Will he clarify whether the
announcements made earlier this week—we will discuss the
statutory instruments relating to them later today—will resolve
the issue? If not, will he work with me and teams across
Government to ensure that we deal with the issue? Perhaps he
would like to come to Kelvedon to meet the company.
As I said, DEFRA officials met Kings Seeds on 19 January. I am
more than happy to meet my right hon. Friend and the company to
discuss its concerns and see how we can support it in all its
excellent work in her constituency.
We appreciate the concerns of Kings Seeds. We are inviting it to
the new horticulture working group announced in yesterday’s
Command Paper, along with industry representatives. The
Government will ask the group to address the movement of seeds to
consumers in Northern Ireland as a priority. I look forward to
hearing its recommendations.
Mr (East Londonderry)
(DUP)
I apologise for my earlier misdemeanour, Mr Speaker.
Now that we have significant progress towards the restoration of
devolution, will the Minister agree to work with DUP Members and
his ministerial colleagues to ensure that issues such as the
horticultural one continue to be resolved, so that we have
maximum efficiency across the North channel?
I am delighted to work with the hon. Gentleman. We have a track
record of working with our DUP friends to solve the challenges
that we face. That conversation can continue, and I look forward
to working with him to continue to solve those challenges.
Biodiversity Loss
(Ruislip, Northwood and
Pinner) (Con)
9. What steps his Department is taking to help reverse
biodiversity loss.(901276)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
This Government have created a whole framework for restoring
nature through our legally binding Environment Act 2021 targets,
which include our world-leading commitment to halt the decline of
species by 2030. We are accelerating action towards that through
our environmental improvement plan. It is a shame I was not asked
about this by the shadow Minister, but we have restored an area
of wildlife habitats the size of Dorset, we have a network of
marine protected areas, 5 million trees were planted last year,
we have 55-plus landscape—
Mr Speaker
Order. It was the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
() who asked the question.
Let’s not have a personal battle across the Chamber.
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner is home to many incredibly
important sites for biodiversity, as are many of our London
suburbs. Does my hon. Friend agree that the new Riverside park
delivered by Harrow council in partnership with the Hatch End
Association is a good example of projects that support
biodiversity in our suburbs?
My hon. Friend is a great champion for his local area. He is
absolutely right; we are working with a range of local partners
and people to put nature at the heart of what we do. I cannot
commend Harrow council and the Hatch End Association enough for
their work—they are putting in an apple orchard, wetlands and
wildflower meadows, which are a superb addition to his already
beautiful constituency.
(City of Chester) (Lab)
Environmentalists such as those at Chester zoo were shocked to
see that the Government have ignored the advice of their own
experts and authorised the use of neonicotinoid pesticides for
the fourth year in a row. Will the Minister tell me how that is
line with our national and international obligations to reduce
the overall risk from pesticides, and how it reduces our
biodiversity loss?
The hon. Lady will know from reading the details of the
derogation that those pesticides will be used only if they hit
the criterion; in many cases, they never do.
Environment Agency Funding
(Somerton and Frome) (LD)
10. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of Environment
Agency funding levels in the context of recent
storms.(901277)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
The Environment Agency’s budget this year is £1.96 billion, so
around £2 billion, which is an increase of more than £700 million
since 2015. We closely monitor the quantum and how we ensure we
get value for money.
Following the 2014 flooding, the current Foreign Secretary—the
then Prime Minister—stated that money was no object as he agreed
a £100 million plan to protect the Somerset levels. Ten years on,
we are experiencing devastating floods with increased regularity.
What steps is the Secretary of State taking to protect homes in
Somerset from flooding and to ensure that floodwater is
efficiently and effectively pumped away from farmland?
The hon. Lady raises an extremely important point. Flooding is
devastating to homeowners, businesses and farmers. That is why in
her part of the country we set up the Somerset Rivers Authority
partnership and secured an extra £80 million of targeted funding
for Somerset. That targeted action is enabling the area to be
more resilient, but there is further work to do.
(Broxbourne) (Con)
Severe winter storms drive many seabirds inland, and most leave
after a few days, but not cormorants. The number of cormorants
roosting permanently inland has risen from 4,000 30 years ago to
about 65,000 now. They are having a huge impact on freshwater
silver fish. Will the Secretary of State meet me and
representatives of the Angling Trust, an organisation I used to
chair, and other interested parties to discuss this issue?
It is always a pleasure to meet my hon. Friend. He mentioned the
important issue of seabirds. He will have noticed yesterday’s
announcement of two major positive steps. The No. 1 issue of the
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds for the last 25 years
has been tightening up the overfishing of sand eels. We are
closing English waters to sand eel fishing, which is hugely
important to seabirds, particularly the puffin. Secondly, we
announced 13 marine designated areas—to put that into context,
that is an area equivalent to the size of Suffolk. It is a huge
step forward in protecting seabirds, on which the UK has a
leading position globally.
Mr Speaker
Hopefully will get us back on track. I
call the shadow Minister.
(Kingston upon Hull West and
Hessle) (Lab)
I recently met with farmer Henry Ward, who showed me the
extensive and damaging flooding right across his farmland caused
by two breaches in the river after a storm. The Environment
Agency is unable to tell him when it will have the resources to
repair those breaches. This means that Henry not only lost all
the crop that was flooded, but will be unable to plant a new crop
in spring. He is not the only farmer to be impacted. When will
the Government realise that their failure to be decisive and get
ahead of the problem of weak defences is costing farmers their
livelihoods and—
Mr Speaker
Order. We only get until 10 o’clock—to take advantage is just not
fair. We must have briefer questions from the Front Bench.
Not only has the water Minister, the Under-Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member
for Keighley (), been decisive; he has met
the individual farmer the hon. Lady mentions on his farm. We are
taking action to look at how we can better empower the internal
drainage boards—[Interruption.] The hon. Lady chunters from a
sedentary position. I actually represent, in the fens, one of the
areas where internal drainage boards are most important. I have
worked with them for 14 years, and the ministerial team is
working actively with them now.
Veterinary Medicines: Northern Ireland
(Upper Bann) (DUP)
11. Whether he has had recent discussions with his EU
counterparts on access to veterinary medicines in Northern
Ireland.(901278)
The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries ()
Arrangements are in place through to the end of 2025 to support
the continuity of the supply of veterinary medicines into
Northern Ireland. We are clear that we must also ensure a
long-term solution to safeguard those supplies on an ongoing
basis, and we will continue to engage with the EU on all aspects
of the operation of the Windsor framework.
Continued restrictions to veterinary medicines remain a very real
threat to local agriculture. The British Veterinary Association
Northern Ireland Branch president has said that a serious risk is
posed to public health and animal welfare if a permanent solution
for access to veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland is not
found. While the Command Paper signals a welcome focus on this
issue, with a working group to deal with it, can the Minister
confirm that the Government will act unilaterally by spring if it
is not resolved?
We will continue to work with the EU to try to find a long-term
solution. Of course, we have to find that solution. Those
negotiations are ongoing, and I do not want to pre-empt any of
those discussions from the Dispatch Box, but we do recognise that
we need a long-term solution to solve this challenge.
Topical Questions
(Fylde) (Con)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.(901286)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
Since I last updated the House, the Government have been
delivering on their plan to back British farmers. We are now
seeing an average increase of 10% in our environmental farming
payments so that farmers can protect our environment and continue
to grow the food that we need. Recent storms have threatened the
livelihoods of many farmers, which is why, alongside the wider
flood recovery framework, I announced financial support of up to
£25,000 for farmers who have suffered uninsurable damage to their
land.
Yesterday was the one-year anniversary of our environmental
improvement plan; I will not repeat the announcements we touched
on earlier, Mr Speaker, given your steer on brevity. Finally, it
is worth reminding the House that we have passed Second Reading
of the Pet Abduction Bill, which introduces stricter sentences
for those who steal dogs and cats. Pet abduction causes huge
trauma to families and to pets, and we are taking decisive action
to address those crimes.
Flooding has caused repeated damage to homes across rural Fylde.
Last week, I held a multi-agency meeting with Fylde’s flood
authorities, which updated me on the work carried out since our
initial meeting last July. From blocked culverts to overflows
from highways and apparently insufficient drainage on newly built
estates, the causes are wide-ranging. At the meeting’s
conclusion, I asked the agencies to provide a written breakdown
of their action plan. Will the Minister meet me to discuss the
plan and how his Department can assist?
As my hon. Friend knows, I am familiar with the Fylde and the
issues there. I am always happy to meet him to discuss the issues
he mentions. I am in contact with the Secretary of State for
Levelling Up, Housing and Communities about new developments and
some of the wider issues that my hon. Friend has been
raising.
Mr Speaker
I call the Scottish National party spokesman.
(Coatbridge, Chryston and
Bellshill) (SNP)
The UK ended the year as the only rich nation with food price
inflation of more than 10%, and families buying food still face
persistent price increases. New Brexit red tape affecting
European food imports poses a further risk of rising inflation in
the prices of items such as bread, milk and even baby formula.
May I again ask the Secretary of State to commit himself to
implementing food price controls if further Brexit red tape leads
to the food price hikes that are being anticipated?
Such is the obsession with Brexit in the SNP that we hear no
mention of the impact of the war in Ukraine, no mention of the
farmers who are striking across the EU, and no recognition of the
huge amount of work on supply chains that is being done by my
right hon. Friend the Farming Minister. Moreover, the hon.
Gentleman seems not to have noticed the rapid review of labelling
that we are conducting, which is about empowering consumers and
ensuring that the high animal welfare standards that we have in
England are better reflected.
Sir Robert Goodwill (Scarborough and Whitby) (Con)
T3. I am sure the Secretary of State has seen reports in
Farmers Weekly that about a third of the UK wheat crop has either
rotted in the ground because of the wet conditions, or was not
drilled at all. Supplies of spring seed are very tight, with many
varieties already sold out, and while it is possible for some
farmers to use farm-saved seed, it is illegal for it to be traded
between farms. Many farmers did not grow spring crops this year
or, indeed, sell their crops at harvest. Is there a solution to
the problem?(901290)
I am very alive to this matter, both because of the very good
work that Farmers Weekly has done to highlight it and because my
right hon. Friend, as Chair of the Select Committee, has
discussed it with me and my right hon. Friend the Farming
Minister, who is also discussing it with plant breeders. We need
to look at what we can do constructively, working with them, to
deal with what is an entirely legitimate issue.
(Blaydon) (Lab)
T2. According to the recent report from the Office for
Environmental Protection, the Government are off track when it
comes to hitting environmental targets, which include restoring
our waterways to health. What will the Government do to get back
on track?(901288)
As was mentioned earlier, that report was based on two months of
data within a 25-year plan, and was therefore somewhat premature
in its judgment. This is the first Government in the world to put
legally binding targets to reverse nature decline into law.
Yesterday, we marked the first anniversary of those targets at
Kew, and set out further proposals which have already been
touched on. We have also provided international leadership by
putting nature at the heart of tackling climate change at COP26,
which was strongly reflected at COP28.
(Penrith and The Border)
(Con)
T4. The Select Committee has been consistently holding water
companies and regulators to account for the inexcusable levels of
sewage being illegally dumped in our precious waterways, but more
can be done. Does my right hon. Friend agree that given our plan
for water, our record levels of investment in monitoring and
improving water quality, and the unlimited fines imposed on water
companies, while the Opposition parties have no affordable plan
and just throw muck from the sidelines, it is this Government who
are actually getting on with and dealing with the
issue?(901291)
My hon. Friend is right in saying that we have a plan and that a
great deal has been done. He is also right that more can be done,
and I reassure the House that I am entirely committed to doing
it. We will hold the water companies to account—that is my
absolute intention.
(Bury South) (Lab)
Springwater park in my constituency suffers from regular flooding
during storms, which causes landslip and movement approaching the
highway. Unfortunately, it falls outside established funding pots
from schemes such as Bellwin, so we keep being bounced between
the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and
DEFRA. Will the Minister meet me, along with representatives of
Bury Council, to see what we can do to address the problem?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
The Government are investing in ongoing projects in the hon.
Gentleman’s constituency, including the Radcliffe and Redvales
flood risk management scheme, and we are doubling our investment
in flood alleviation schemes from £2.6 billion to £5.2 billion
over the next six-year funding round. However, I am of course
happy to meet him.
(Uxbridge and South
Ruislip) (Con)
T5. My constituency is home to many international food and drink
manufacturers, including General Mills and Coca-Cola, both of
which are seeking to expand their operations here in the UK. Will
my right hon. Friend update the House on the work being done to
help such manufacturers to expand and grow for the benefit of our
local and national economies?(901293)
The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries ()
We have regular meetings with the food and drink sector to ensure
that we are in tune with its concerns and aspirations. Those
discussions will continue, and we will continue to support great
businesses such as Coca-Cola in my hon. Friend’s constituency,
support British jobs and generate benefit for the UK economy.
(Mid Bedfordshire)
(Lab)
Towns and villages such as Maulden and Shefford in my
constituency have seen their flood risk profile change
dramatically over the years, partly owing to housing growth. How
will the Minister ensure that funding for the Environment Agency
and internal drainage boards adequately reflects the way in which
that risk has evolved?
Improving our flood alleviation schemes and our flood resilience
is incredibly important, which is why the Government are
recognising the amount of investment we need to put into it. We
are doubling that investment from £2.6 billion to £5.2 billion
over the next six-year period. The sorts of schemes we are
helping will assist projects across the country to deal with
those problems.
Sir (Maldon) (Con)
Does my right hon. Friend recognise that drift net fishing for
bass is more sustainable, targeted and efficient than fishing
with set nets? Will he reconsider the ban, which was introduced
as a temporary measure, in order to allow those with an existing
bass entitlement to undertake drift net fishing?
Bass stocks are still recovering from poor spawning periods and
overfishing. The bass fisheries management plan commits to review
existing commercial access, including gear types such as drift
nets, which pose a higher risk to sensitive species and bass
fishes. A careful balance must be struck between increasing
fishing opportunities and protecting vulnerable bass stocks, but
I assure my right hon. Friend that these matters will remain
open.
(Warwick and Leamington)
(Lab)
Since April last year, thousands of homes in my constituency have
suffered from a fly infestation assumed to originate from a
recycling plant. Will the Minister meet me and the Environment
Agency to get this resolved?
I am more than happy to meet the hon. Gentleman to try to deal
with these issues, because for this Government dealing with waste
and recycling is incredibly important. If the challenges are
having an impact on householders, we need to get on top of this,
and I am to meet him to discuss it.
(Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Con)
Walleys Quarry, in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member
for Newcastle-under-Lyme (), is stinking again, with
monitoring stations showing high levels of hydrogen sulphide and
with complaints soaring. The site is blighting my constituents
too, and the Environment Agency now says the owner is no longer
working towards compliance. It is long past time that the permit
was revoked and the company prosecuted. Will the Minister come to
Staffordshire to witness the stink and see the sorry sight for
himself?
Mr Speaker
When he does, can he take the licence away from the one at
Cuerden, in Chorley?
I always listen closely to your steer, Mr Speaker. My hon. Friend
raises an extremely important issue, which I know is very
troubling to those affected. The Under-Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member
for Keighley () is going there in the coming
days, and I can assure her that this is being discussed and
actively followed up.
(North Ayrshire and Arran)
(SNP)
Food price inflation remains twice as high as general inflation
in the UK, and the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit warns
that it could rise even higher next year. What assessment has the
Secretary of State made, with his colleagues, of the impact of
soaring food prices on those we represent?
Of course, we continue to monitor food price inflation and work
with the sector to reduce it as much as possible. We co-operate
with not only farmers, processors and retailers, but all those
involved in the sector to try to make sure that we provide a
reasonably priced food basket for our constituents. The good news
is that the cost of our food basket in the UK is lower than that
found in many parts of the European Union.
(Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
(Alba)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. In response to Question 1, the
Secretary of State attributed another party’s position on Europe
to my party. The Alba party’s position on Europe is to opt for
the European Free Trade Association, thus maintaining sovereignty
over fisheries and farming. I would be grateful if the Secretary
of State would correct the record.
Mr Speaker
I call the Secretary of State.
Such is the confusion within the Scottish National party that I
hope the House forgives me for the mistake. I recognise that the
hon. Gentleman has changed his party and now is an Alba Member. I
am happy to correct the record.
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