Agricultural Sector: Innovation Sir Julian Smith (Skipton and
Ripon) (Con) 1. What steps he is taking to promote innovation in
the agricultural sector. (900417) The Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Steve Reed) First, I add my
congratulations to the Speaker's Chaplain on her distinguished
tenure, and to Terry Wiggins, who has been here much longer than
all of us. I thank the right hon. Member for his question. The
Government...Request free trial
Agricultural Sector: Innovation
Sir Julian (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
1. What steps he is taking to promote innovation in the
agricultural sector. (900417)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
First, I add my congratulations to the Speaker's Chaplain on her
distinguished tenure, and to Terry Wiggins, who has been here
much longer than all of us.
I thank the right hon. Member for his question. The Government
recognise the importance of innovation in supporting farmers to
boost Britain's food security, drive productivity and improve
nature's recovery. The UK has world-class science and innovation
capabilities. The Government will promote the UK as a great place
for technology innovators, which will drive investment, economic
growth and create high-skilled jobs, supporting farmers to
embrace the latest technology and best practice.
Sir Julian
One of the challenges for risk-taking farmers is the regulatory
environment. Will the Secretary of State update the House on how
he will bring together Natural England, the Environment Agency
and other agencies to reflect and be much more responsive to the
enterprise culture in farming?
I share the right hon. Member's interest in the need for
effective regulation. I will soon make an announcement about our
intentions to review regulation to ensure that it is fit for
purpose across the Department and helps to achieve the priority
objectives that we have set out as a new Government and
ministerial team.
Environmental Land Management Schemes
(Thornbury and Yate) (LD)
2. What steps his Department is taking to increase uptake of
environmental land management schemes. (900418)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
I echo the good wishes of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of
State to your chaplain, Mr Speaker, and to Terry, who have
nourished us in mind, body and spirit.
I congratulate the hon. Lady on her election to the House. This
Labour Government are fully committed to environmental land
management schemes. We will optimise the schemes so that they
produce the right outcomes for all farmers, including small,
grassland, upland and tenant farmers who have been too often
ignored, while delivering food security and nature recovery in a
just and equitable way.
On a visit to a local farm this summer with the National Farmers
Union, it was raised with me that some farmers are not signing up
for one of the Government's sustainable farming initiatives,
because they fear being locked in when a better deal may be just
around the corner. If we want farmers to farm more sustainably,
we need to ensure that they are getting the support they need to
do so. With that in mind, will the Minister clarify whether
farmers who sign up for an SFI will be able to transition to an
alternative one, and if not, whether the rules will be reviewed
so that they can do so?
I believe a cow was very interested in the hon. Lady's coat on
one of her recent visits—I hope both the cow and the coat have
recovered.
We encourage all farmers to apply for the sustainable farm
initiative, and we are actively looking at how we can achieve
stability going forward.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee.
Mr (Chesterfield) (Lab)
It is a great pleasure to see my hon. and right hon. Friends in
their places on the Front Bench.
The environmental land management scheme approach was a really
innovative idea from the previous Government, but its
implementation has been a shambles and it is leaving far too many
farmers desperately worried about their future. Can my hon.
Friend tell me any more about what the Government have inherited
and the urgent steps that they will take to support Britain's
farmers to farm in a more natural way in the future?
I congratulate my hon. Friend on his election to Chair of the
Environmental Audit Committee—obviously the finest Committee in
Parliament, of which I have very fond memories. He is right, and
he will know that this Labour Government are addressing the £22
billion hole in the public finances. No decisions on the farming
budget have been taken. Spending on the Department's priorities
will be confirmed as part of the spending review, but we will not
be overturning the apple cart and we are fully committed to
environmental land management schemes.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Committee.
Mr (Orkney and Shetland)
(LD)
Arguably, and in the view of some of us, ours is the finest
Select Committee in the House.
The problems with the uptake of ELMS have been at the heart of a
significant departmental underspend. No fair-minded individual
would blame the current Government for that, but if that money
disappears back into the Treasury, never to be seen again on
farms, that blame will be attached to the current Government. In
opposition, they said that any underspend should be rolled over
into future years. Is that still their position in government,
and how will they do it?
I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on his election to the
second best Committee in the House of Commons. We will have to
sort that out outside.
There was about a £350 million underspend in the farm budget
under the previous Government, who failed on their manifesto
pledge to spend £2.4 billion a year on farmers. We are looking at
everything as part of the spending review and decisions will be
announced in due course.
(Southend West and
Leigh) (Lab)
In my constituency we are about to hold regular water quality
summits, alongside my hon. Friend the Member for Southend East
and Rochford (Mr Alaba), with the water company, Ofwat, the local
council, the Environment Agency and, most importantly, residents,
with the aim of ending the scourge of sewage dumping. Does my
right hon. Friend the Secretary of State agree with me that this
is a good local model and a good blueprint to be used nationally,
and would he like to join us at an upcoming meeting?
I cannot speak for the Secretary of State, but I am sure that all
Ministers will fight over any invitation to visit my hon.
Friend's gorgeous constituency. We are announcing a review into
water. I urge him to participate and feed into that review. The
sort of innovative model that brings partners together is
certainly one we will be looking at.
British Food Producers
(South Northamptonshire)
(Con)
3. What steps he is taking to support British food producers.
(900419)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
I congratulate the hon. Lady on her achievement in the
election.
The Labour Government will restore stability and confidence in
the sector, introducing a new deal for farmers to boost rural
economic growth and strengthen food security alongside nature's
recovery. We will make the supply chain work more fairly, back
British produce, and cut energy prices through GB Energy. We are
continuing the roll-out of the sustainable farming initiative,
and will optimise schemes and grants.
In recent weeks, I have had the pleasure of meeting farmers in
Evenley at Stowe Heights farm and Barnowl farm, two of the
amazing producers in South Northamptonshire. However, they and
many other farmers are gravely concerned by media reports that
the farming budget will be cut by £100 million. Can the Minister
confirm that that is not the case, and that support for local
producers is to be maintained?
Those sound like wonderful farms to visit—I might even be tempted
to pop in and see them myself. Our farming Minister, my hon.
Friend the Member for Cambridge (), has done an incredible
job, going up and down the country visiting many farmers and
talking to stakeholders. As I am sure the hon. Lady will
understand, anything involving the Budget is part of the spending
review process, and answers will be given in due course.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(North East Cambridgeshire)
(Con)
Both in that answer and in the earlier answer from the
environment Minister, the hon. Member for Coventry East (), the House has heard
Government Front Benchers say that no decision has been taken on
the farming budget. However, media reports say that the
Chancellor has decided to cut the farming budget by £100 million,
as she prioritises her trade union paymasters over farmers. In
these first DEFRA questions of the new Parliament will the
Minister rule out cuts to the farming budget? Farmers are
watching these questions, and need to be able to plan their
business and have confidence that the budget will be
maintained.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think the right hon.
Gentleman will find that it was the previous Government—in fact,
the Department for which he was responsible—who underspent the
farming budget, despite their promises to spend £2.4 billion a
year. That underspend broke a manifesto promise. He will also
remember, because it is not all that long ago that he was on the
Government Benches, that decisions about the Budget are made as
part of the spending review.
Water Pollution: Accountability
(West Bromwich) (Lab)
4. What recent progress he has made on increasing the
accountability of water companies for pollution discharges into
waterways. (900420)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
I welcome my outstanding former employee to her place in the
Chamber, and thank her for her question. After 14 years of
Conservative failure, the public are furious at the levels of
sewage being released into our rivers, lakes and seas. Last week,
this Government introduced the Water (Special Measures) Bill to
strengthen the power of the water industry regulators and turn
around the performance of failing water companies. The Bill will
ban bonuses for chief executives when environmental standards
have not been met, and will bring forward criminal charges for
obstruction.
Our canals are the pride of the Black Country: they are very
important to our communities, our wildlife and our tourism.
Unfortunately, like the rest of the waterways, we have seen
serious pollution incidents in the canals in recent years. What
are the Government doing to protect our canals and waterways and
clean up the failures of the last Government?
I congratulate my hon. Friend on being such a champion for
waterways in and around her constituency. Toxic pollution of
canals or, indeed, any other waterway is disgraceful and
unacceptable. The previous Government cut resources for the
regulators, leaving them incapable of investigating all the
incidents that were happening. We are putting firepower back with
the regulators through the Water (Special Measures) Bill, which
will allow them to claw back the costs of prosecution from the
organisations that are prosecuted, so that they can carry out
more enforcement against organisations that got away scot-free
with polluting our waterways under the previous Government.
Dame (Gosport) (Con)
Dozens of homes and businesses across Alverstoke village in my
constituency were flooded with polluted water from the Alver
creek when Storm Pierrick caused a tidal surge in April this
year. We now hear that, without urgent flood protection measures,
that could be a one-in-20-years scenario. Those measures will
cost an extra £3.5 million, and we are waiting desperately for
news from the Secretary of State's Department about whether we
have been awarded that flood and coastal erosion risk management
grant so that the work can start. We are now heading into winter,
with higher tides, and some of my constituents still have not
been able to return to their homes and businesses after the
previous flooding event. What reassurance can the Secretary of
State give me that that announcement is coming soon, and will he
please meet me urgently to discuss this scenario?
I congratulate the hon. Member on winning her seat in the general
election and taking her place. I will certainly make sure that
the relevant Minister is able to meet her to discuss that issue
in more detail. I am very pleased that the first meeting of our
new flood resilience taskforce will be later today. The intention
of that organisation is to ensure much better co-ordination
between Whitehall at the centre, where the resources are held,
and the agencies on the frontline that need to be taking
appropriate action as quickly as possible to protect communities,
businesses, farms and all of the rest of the people who can be
affected by flooding, particularly given that we are seeing more
frequent severe weather incidents because of climate change.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Keighley and Ilkley)
(Con)
Sound management of water companies is of course vital if
customers are to receive the high level of service they expect
and environmental performance obligations are to be strictly
adhered to. Some water companies are better managed than others,
so will the Secretary of State guarantee that in his efforts to
hold water companies to account, no offer of a regulatory
easement will be provided—in other words, no permission to lower
standards, relax environmental permits or reduce agreed levels of
investment will be provided to any water company, no matter their
financial circumstances, by the Government or the regulator?
I will be announcing later this autumn—in just a few weeks'
time—a review of the entire water sector, including regulation.
In particular, I want to make sure that regulation is as tough as
possible to ensure that the practices and, frankly, the abuses
that were going on can no longer happen. Part of that will be
complete transparency about what is going on—on the part of the
water companies, and also, I have to say, on the part of
Government. It was very disappointing that, when he was a
Minister, the hon. Gentleman tried to cover up the extent of
sewage spills before the election, telling Environment Agency
officials not to put the key figures on the front page of its
environmental portal.
Mr Speaker
Order. Saying that the hon. Member “tried to cover up” is
suggesting that a Member is lying, and I do not—
(North East Cambridgeshire)
(Con)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker
The right hon. Member cannot raise a point of order now. He has
been here long enough to know that they come at the end of
questions. [Interruption.] Order. I am dealing with this. We
really have to reflect on what we say about other Members in this
House, and I would like the Secretary of State to withdraw what
he has suggested.
I withdraw that comment. Perhaps I should have said that the
shadow Minister could have been more open and transparent.
[Interruption.]
Mr Speaker
Order. I am not going to open up that question. We will now have
the second question from .
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
So there we have it: the Secretary of State's first outing at the
Dispatch Box, and he was not able to clearly answer the question
I asked. Will the Secretary of State confirm that, in fulfilling
his obligation to hold water companies to account, he will not
issue regulatory easements, no matter their financial
circumstances? Will he answer that question clearly right now
from the Dispatch Box?
As I have already said, we are looking to strengthen, not weaken
the regulation. The regulation was inappropriate. It is not just
the regulation itself, but the lack of resources the regulators
have had. That is why the Water (Special Measures) Bill we are
introducing will allow the regulators to claw back resources from
water companies that are successfully prosecuted, so that they
have the firepower to prosecute further wrongdoing by those water
companies or others responsible for it.
Funding for Farming
(Gordon and Buchan)
(Con)
5. If he will maintain the level of funding for
farming.(900421)
(Berwickshire, Roxburgh and
Selkirk) (Con)
10. What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the
Exchequer on funding for farming.(900426)
(Brigg and Immingham)
(Con)
12. If he will maintain the level of funding for farming.
(900428)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
The Government will restore stability and confidence in the
sector by introducing a new deal for farmers to boost rural
economic growth and strengthen food security alongside nature's
recovery. The Government are currently conducting a spending
review, which will conclude in October. Departmental budgets,
including spending on farming, will be confirmed through this
process.
The Labour party manifesto rightly stated that the Labour
party
“recognises that food security is national security.”
I agree, but those words must be matched with actions. We have
already asked today about future budgets, but have not heard any
answers. Will the Secretary of State confirm that there will be
no real-terms cuts to the agriculture budget?
As the hon. Member will know, there is a spending review process
going on, which will culminate with announcements in the Budget.
That is the point at which all of that will be made clear and
apparent.
I would gently remind the hon. Member that it was her Government
who underspent the farming budget by £130 million in the previous
financial year. That money should have been in the pockets of
farmers, who desperately need it for the work they are doing to
provide the food we want to eat and to help nature's recovery,
yet that Government were too incompetent to get it out the door.
This Government will make sure that the money allocated to
farmers is handed over to farmers so that they are able to use it
for the purposes for which it is intended.
Being an MP for the Scottish Borders, I am lucky enough to
represent some of the best farmers and food producers in the
whole of the UK. However, as we have heard, the new Government
have chosen not to give them any clarity about their future
funding settlement, so I ask again: can the Secretary of State
commit not to cut the funding for farmers and food
production?
I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on his appointment as shadow
Secretary of State for Scotland.
As I said previously, a spending review process is going on. No
Government announce their Budget in advance of the Budget taking
place. I cannot do that either, but I assure the hon. Gentleman
that we are keen to ensure that farmers in every single part of
the United Kingdom receive the support they need to do the job
that we as a country need them to do to ensure that we have the
food security that we want, because it is part of our national
security, and that this country deserves.
Farmers in my constituency who receive funding through the
sustainable farming incentive are concerned that some of the
schemes are becoming over-subscribed and therefore their income
is reducing. Will the Secretary of State give a reassurance that
that particular initiative will continue and will do so at the
existing funding levels?
I have been clear, throughout the election campaign and since,
that we do not intend to overturn the applecart in respect of the
old schemes in general, including the SFI. We support the
principles behind the schemes and want to see them continue. In
terms of what the hon. Gentleman alluded to, there are ways to
make them work better. My intention is to work closely with the
farming sector and the nature sector to make sure that we get the
maximum bang for our buck for every single penny that goes
through those schemes, and that the farmers who need it get the
support they deserve.
(Montgomeryshire and
Glyndŵr) (Lab)
British farmers have been badly let down by crippling trade
deals, skyrocketing energy prices and devastating floods. Will
the Secretary of State outline how he will restore confidence and
support British farmers?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. There are all sorts of ways
in which farmers have felt very let down over the past 14 years,
and that has contributed to the tragic situation today in which
we have the lowest levels of confidence ever recorded in the
farming sector. Our new deal for farming is intended to start to
sort part of that out.
My hon. Friend referred to trade deals that undermine farmers;
they are furious about that, and at the National Farmers Union's
Back British Farming Day reception yesterday farmers made that
clear to me again. We have ruled out any future trade deals that
undercut and undermine British farmers in the way the previous
Government's Australia and New Zealand trade deals did.
Nick (Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) (Lab)
May I support your thanks to Terry Wiggins, Mr Speaker? He has
been a great servant of this House and is a lovely bloke.
The Conservative complaints about support for farmers are a bit
lame. Has the Secretary of State had the opportunity yet to work
out why there was an underspend of over £100 million in the
agricultural budget last year?
My hon. Friend raises an important point. Opposition Members are
asking me today about budget decisions that they know cannot be
announced before the Budget, when presumably they are
aware—because the statement has been laid—that they underspent
the previous budget to the tune of £130 million. It is not that
they were not warned about this either, because while we were in
opposition we were making points, as were farmers, about
underspends and the desperate need to get that money back out to
the farmers who needed access to it. We will review the
situation, find out exactly what went wrong and publish that
information as soon as it is available.
Mr Speaker
I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.
(Glastonbury and Somerton)
(LD)
Somerset is home to 8,500 farmers and food producers, which is
more than any other county in the UK. They are worried that the
£130 million of support will be stripped from them because the
previous Government replaced the basic payment scheme with
systems that were too complicated for many farmers to access.
Notwithstanding the previous comments, will the Secretary of
State confirm that he will not be slashing their funding, and
give farmers the confidence that they need to be able to invest
in the future and secure the nation's food security?
I am delighted to congratulate those farmers, producers and
growers in Somerset. It is a fine county and they do an
incredibly good job, of which the hon. Lady is rightly proud. I
hope she will understand that I cannot make comments about the
Budget in advance; I would be in deep trouble with the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, which is something I wish to avoid. At the
appropriate time, we will make absolutely clear what we intend to
do. My intention is to fight the corner of farmers through the
spending review process so that we can make sure they receive the
resources they deserve.
Support for Farmers
Dame (West Worcestershire)
(Con)
6. What steps he is taking to support farmers.(900422)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
This Labour Government will introduce a new deal for farmers to
boost rural economic growth and strengthen food security
alongside nature recovery. We will make the supply chain work
more fairly, better protect farmers from flooding and back
British produce. We are continuing the roll-out of the
sustainable farming initiative and will optimise schemes and
grants to ensure that they work for farmers.
Dame
It is the time of year when we thank farmers and nature for the
harvest, and it has been a particularly difficult year. Farmers
are planning ahead for next year, so will the Minister kindly
give me a one-word answer to my question? I understand that she
cannot announce what is in the spending review, but in the
request that her Department has made to the Chancellor, is the
amount she has asked for more or less than £2.4 billion?
I thank the hon. Lady—dare I say, my hon. Friend—for her
question. Yes, it is good to remind ourselves that this is the
time of harvest, when we should all be grateful and give thanks.
In answer to her question, as a previous Chair of the Treasury
Committee she knows that we cannot make comments on the Budget
before it comes through. Like the Secretary of State, I do not
wish to be in trouble with the Chancellor either.
Mr Speaker
Right, we come to Mike Amesbury—let us see if he gets in
trouble.
(Runcorn and Helsby)
(Lab)
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Last week, I met farmers in the Frodsham part of my constituency
who were asking for support to curtail the industrial thefts of
GPS systems. Will the Minister meet me to discuss that, with
representatives of the National Farmers Union?
It is always a pleasure to meet my hon. Friend, and I would be
delighted to talk to him about that in more detail.
Topical Questions
(Dunfermline and Dollar)
(Lab)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.(900435)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
Scotland's financial allocation will be confirmed through the
spending review that concludes in October. As agriculture is
devolved, it will be for the Scottish Government to allocate
funding to farmers in Scotland. The UK Government are supporting
farmers across the country with a new deal to boost economic
growth and strengthen food security. We will protect farmers from
being undercut in trade deals, make the supply chain work more
fairly and back British produce.
Farming and agriculture are a vital part of the economy in west
Fife and in my constituency of Dunfermline and Dollar. Yesterday,
I was delighted to meet a delegation from NFU Scotland. Given the
economic, social and environmental value of active farming and
crofting in Scotland, and its significant contribution to the
wider UK economy, will the Secretary of State share what he will
do to ensure that food security and food production in Scotland
remain at the heart of our national security?
Many of those issues are devolved to the Scottish Government. I
have already held meetings with the Scottish Agriculture Minister
and we are due to meet again next week, and I will be making sure
that we have a strong working relationship.
Where the UK Government have a role in particular is with trade
deals. Many British producers were upset that because the
previous Government erected barriers to trade when they were told
that they would continue to get open access to the European
markets, they could no longer continue to sell their great
British produce into those markets, damaging them economically
and financially. We will be seeking a new veterinary deal with
the European Union to get those exports moving again.
Mr Speaker
I remind those on the Front Bench that it is topical questions,
so questions and answers have to be short and punchy. The thing
is, I have to try to get in as many as I can. Let us see a good
example of that with the shadow Secretary of State.
(North East Cambridgeshire)
(Con)
The Secretary of State has repeatedly talked tough with the water
companies, yet the Water (Special Measures) Bill that he
announced actually weakens a number of measures, such as the
automatic fines for category 1 and 2 prosecutions, and removes
the unlimited penalties that would apply. He said that the review
of water regulation would strengthen requirements on water firms;
will he therefore confirm to the House that there will be no
regulatory easements as part of that review?
The very Bill that the right hon. Gentleman referred to
strengthens regulation. We will be looking further at regulation
through the review. The intention will be to make it stronger,
not weaker, because it was far too weak under the previous
Government and we need to turn that around.
Dr (Worthing West) (Lab)
T3. Raw sewage was discharged into our rivers and seas for a
shocking 4 million hours last year. Will the Minister reassure
our coastal communities, including my own in Worthing West, that
water companies will be held accountable for the necessary
investment to address the systemic and chronic pollution of our
waters?(900437)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
Congratulations to my hon. Friend on her election. She is
absolutely right to be outraged at the level of sewage pumped
into our rivers, lakes and seas under the previous Government. I
hope that where she saw inaction in the past, she will see this
Government taking action right now through our Water (Special
Measures) Bill. We will not stand by and allow these levels of
pollution to continue.
(Birmingham Perry Barr)
(Ind)
T2. Water bills in the west midlands are set to increase by some
37% by the end of the decade. Many of my constituents are already
struggling with the cost of living. What steps will the Secretary
of State take to stop private water companies ripping off
consumers in the west midlands and to keep bills at an affordable
level?(900436)
Of course, we recognise the impacts of the cost of living on all
our constituents, but the years of under-investment by the
Conservatives mean that we need £88 billion-worth of investment
in the industry. Customer bills will be ringfenced under the
changes brought about by the Government, and if that money is not
spent on infrastructure improvement, it will be refunded to
customers. Of course, the final bills are determined by Ofwat,
not the Government.
(Hastings and Rye) (Lab/
Co-op)
T4. My constituents in Hastings and Rye got their water bills
this month. Many of them were shocked to see their bills going up
despite the failures of Southern Water, which include sewage
dumped along our coastline, flooding in our town centre and
leaving us without water. It has even charged us for the five
days when the taps ran dry. What are the Government doing to
clean up the mess left by Southern Water and by the Conservative
party?(900438)
What has been going on in my hon. Friend's constituency is
completely unacceptable. I know that she has been a huge champion
for cleaning up the water in that part of the country. One of the
things we are looking at doing is doubling the rates of
compensation from water companies when they let down their
customers as she described.
Dr Neil Hudson (Epping Forest) (Con)
T5. Animal and Plant Health Agency staff deserve our thanks for
tackling a number of challenges facing our biosecurity. Given the
outbreaks of bluetongue in East Anglia, the advance of African
swine fever across Europe, and the existing threats posed by
avian influenza and bovine tuberculosis, will the Minister
support the APHA by affirming that the Government will fully
commit to the redevelopment of its HQ in Weybridge—Labour rightly
called for that in opposition—to protect the UK's biosecurity,
and human and animal health?(900439)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
I welcome the hon. Gentleman to his new seat and congratulate him
on winning the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals' Massingham advocacy award. The Department remains
vigilant to potential global disease threats and has robust
measures in place to prevent and detect disease incursion. We
will be looking at funding as part of the spending review, but I
pay tribute to those officials and veterinary officers who are
working so hard to tackle the outbreaks that the hon. Gentleman
mentioned.
Ms (East Thanet) (Lab)
T7. Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate are bywords for the English
seaside holiday, but Thanet district council has to deal with the
appalling levels of littering and fly-tipping that come with the
popularity of our beautiful beaches. At the end of a hot, sunny
day, 5,000 people will have descended on Margate main sands,
leaving them far from beautiful. The rubbish is an environmental
and health hazard. Of course, the challenge is a seasonal one.
What plans do the Government have to support coastal communities
in tackling this blight?(900441)
I welcome my hon. Friend to her place. We need to educate the
public and ourselves that there is no such place as “away” and
that when we bring our children and our picnics to the beach, we
should consume the food and leave only footprints in the sand. I
am convening a circular economy taskforce, and we will look at
seasonal needs as part of that.
(Waveney Valley) (Green)
T6. Any cuts to the environmental land management scheme would be
a blow to farmers and to the Government's climate and nature
recovery missions. The nature-friendly farming budget needs to be
not just maintained but increased. Does the Secretary of State
agree with the economic assessment made by the Royal Society for
the Protection of Birds, the National Trust and the Wildlife
Trusts that the environmental land management budget will need to
be increased to around £5.9 billion a year to meet the
targets?(900440)
The Government remain fully committed to the ELM schemes, and my
right hon. Friend the Chancellor will make announcements about
the budget at the appropriate time.
Dr (Penistone and Stocksbridge)
(Lab)
Under the Conservative Government, there were almost 18,000 hours
of sewage dumping in my constituency in 2023. What is the
Minister doing to ensure that Yorkshire Water cleans up its act
and our beautiful River Don?
I thank my hon. Friend for her question and welcome her to her
place. She is already a tireless champion for her constituency,
and she has raised this issue with me in the past. Our new Water
(Special Measures) Bill will clean up our rivers, lakes and seas,
undoing the damage left behind after 14 years of Conservative
rule.
Alison Griffiths (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton) (Con)
T8. The Secretary of State is certainly talking tough, but will
he publish the justice impact test for his Water (Special
Measures) Bill and list the additional court cases and prison
places needed?(900442)
We will publish all information relating to the Bill at the
appropriate time during its passage through Parliament.
(Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)
What action will the Secretary of State and his Department take
to support farmers in addressing rural crime, which is a huge
issue for farmers in my constituency and across Essex?
I am pleased to say that I made a joint announcement with the
Home Secretary that this will be the first Government to have a
cross-departmental rural crime strategy intended to cut the huge
impact of rural crime on communities.
(Edinburgh West) (LD)
Biodiversity net gain is critical to replacing the loss we are
experiencing in our environment and is now mandatory in planning
applications—but with exemptions. Those exemptions mean that most
developers are avoiding biodiversity net gain, so what will the
Government do to tighten up the exemptions and make that more
difficult?
This is a very new policy and has only just come into force, as
the hon. Lady will be aware. There are very limited exemptions in
place at the moment, such as that on side returns on housing, but
we are keeping the issue under active review and I am in
discussions with officials about it.
(South Norfolk) (Lab)
The bluetongue outbreak in Haddiscoe is seriously concerning, and
it is crucial that the Animal and Plant Health Agency is provided
with sufficient resources to conduct testing swiftly. Will my
right hon. Friend meet me to discuss this urgent matter?
I am happy to ensure that the relevant Minister meets my hon.
Friend to discuss the issue. However, the APHA and other
authorities are doing a good job right now of containing a very
worrying incident of bluetongue.
Dr (Bexhill and Battle)
(Con)
In Bexhill and Battle we get to enjoy the amazing High Weald area
of outstanding natural beauty, but it is expansive, covering more
than 1,400 sq km. What advice did the Minister's Department give
the Housing Department on taking such issues into account when
centrally imposed housing targets are putting pressure on the
area as a whole?
It is important to remember that our national landscapes are
protected landscapes and that the planning authorities work
appropriately on such issues. I am in discussions with officials
and I am happy to write to the hon. Gentleman with a proper
answer on the issue.
(Suffolk Coastal)
(Lab)
In my constituency we also have confirmed cases of bluetongue,
and I recently met a farmer who lost six pregnant ewes last week.
Will the Minister meet me to discuss the issue and how we can
support farmers in my constituency and across the east of
England?
I will happily ensure that my hon. Friend gets a meeting, perhaps
with our hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk (), to discuss the issue in
her region.
Mr (Maidenhead) (LD)
Before the school summer holidays, 26 year 3 students at Holy
Trinity primary school in Cookham wrote to me about sewage in the
Thames. They are really concerned that water companies are
allowed to get away with putting sewage in our water. Will the
Minister meet me and students at Holy Trinity to discuss their
concerns?
As a former primary school teacher, how can I not say yes to a
meeting with the students from my hon. Friend's constituency? I
am already looking forward to it.
(South West Norfolk) (Lab)
I am very concerned about the future of the Thetford biomass
facility in my constituency. Every year, it turns half a million
tonnes of poultry litter into electricity. Has the Secretary of
State had meetings to discuss the potential impact of the end of
the renewables obligation scheme on the disposal of poultry
litter?
We are in the early stages of looking at how we deal with the
country's waste and considering the policies we will bring
forward. This will be looked at as part of the review. We will be
working with colleagues from the Department for Energy Security
and Net Zero to ensure we get the right results.
Freddie van Mierlo (Henley and Thame) (LD)
Will the Secretary of State meet me and the Environment Agency to
discuss the closure of Marsh Lock bridge on the Thames path in
Henley-on-Thames?
I would be happy to meet the hon. Gentleman and the Environment
Agency to discuss the matter in more detail.
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