Budget: Impact on Farming Communities John Lamont (Berwickshire,
Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con) 1. What assessment he has made of the
potential impact of the autumn Budget 2024 on farming communities.
(901137) The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs (Daniel
Zeichner) The Labour Government have committed £5 billion to the
agricultural budget over the next two years—the biggest budget for
sustainable food production and nature recovery in our history.
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Budget: Impact on Farming Communities
(Berwickshire, Roxburgh and
Selkirk) (Con)
1. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the
autumn Budget 2024 on farming communities. (901137)
The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs ()
The Labour Government have committed £5 billion to the
agricultural budget over the next two years—the biggest budget
for sustainable food production and nature recovery in our
history. It is good for British farming, it is good for the
country, and it should be welcomed by the Opposition.
This week, the president of the National Farmers Union of
Scotland, Martin Kennedy, said:
“The new UK Government's first budget…hammered hard-working
family farms and crofts with crippling tax bills”.
The Minister has accused the Conservatives of scare- mongering
about Labour's family farm tax. Is the National Farmers Union of
Scotland also scaremongering?
I talk regularly to the National Farmers Union of Scotland. I
respect it fully, but I genuinely say, as I have said on many
occasions, that we need to look closely at the figures and look
at the detail. We will find that the vast majority of farmers in
this country will be fine.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Keighley and Ilkley)
(Con)
The Minister's response to my hon. Friend's question highlights
his arrogance on this issue. He constantly keeps saying that we
need to look at the detail, yet his Department and the Treasury
disagree on how many farms will be impacted by as much as 40%. In
fact, as he knows, the figures being repeatedly regurgitated by
the Government consider only past claims for agricultural
property relief, not those combined with business property
relief, which is just as important. Why? Because the Treasury
does not have the data. We need comprehensive detail on this
policy to properly understand the impacts of his family farm tax.
I ask this for a third time in this House: will he release a full
impact assessment—yes or no?
We seem to be discussing this endlessly. The figures on
agricultural property relief are absolutely clear. I have kept
asking people to look at the detail, because what they will
find—listen to the tax experts and the people who have actually
looked at the policy in detail—is that fewer than 500 farms will
be affected. That is the reassuring message that the
Conservatives should be conveying to British farmers.
Mr Speaker
I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.
(Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)
Britain's farmers, who feed us and care for our environment,
deserve better than the betrayal they received under the last
Conservative Government, and better than the attacks in this
Government's recent Budget. In Cumbria alone some 1,400 family
farmers, many of whom live on less than the minimum wage, will be
hit by this tax, but the more immediate threat to farming is the
Government's rash decision to cut the basic payment by 76% next
year. That will hit livestock farmers, upland farmers and dairy
farmers, and destabilise the whole industry. Will the Minister
think again?
The changes we have made this year are the biggest boost to
sustainable farming that this country has seen—that is the
agricultural transition. The Liberal Democrats have always been
flaky on this issue, and they have never been able to make up
their minds what they think about it. We are determined to tackle
the extreme climate crisis globally; they seem to think it is not
happening.
Fly-tipping
(North Warwickshire and
Bedworth) (Lab)
2. What steps he plans to take to help tackle fly-tipping.
(901138)
(West Bromwich) (Lab)
7. What steps he plans to take to help tackle fly-tipping.
(901143)
(Redditch) (Lab)
10. What steps his Department is taking to help tackle
fly-tipping in rural areas. (901146)
(Stafford) (Lab)
12. What steps his Department is taking to help tackle
fly-tipping. (901150)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
May I begin by wishing His Majesty the King a very happy
birthday? I am sure the sentiment is echoed on both sides of the
House.
Fly-tipping has increased after years of Conservative failure,
leaving a plague of dumped rubbish across our streets, parks and
cities and imposing huge costs on taxpayers and businesses. This
new Labour Government will end our throwaway society and stop the
avalanche of rubbish filling up our streets by increasing
recycling rates, reducing waste and cracking down on waste
crime.
In 2022-23, North Warwickshire borough council recorded 912
incidents of fly-tipping and took 172 investigation actions, yet
only one fixed penalty notice was issued. This meant that farmers
often picked up the cost of removing the problem, and criminal
gangs were allowed to get away scot-free. Does the Minister agree
that more must be done by the council to prosecute incidents of
fly-tipping?
I can tell my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour that local
authorities have the power to issue fixed penalty
notices—on-the-spot fines—of up to £1,000, but one fixed penalty
notice is completely inadequate given the scale of the problem
she outlined. The low rates of fixed penalty notices and
prosecutions mean that this is a consequence-free crime. We are
on a mission to improve that, and I hope her council will work
with us to improve its record.
Sandwell Litter Watch does a great job of keeping our streets
clean, but it and the council cannot overcome the selfish
behaviour of fly-tippers, who dump rubbish all over the borough,
from Yew Tree to Oldbury. Incidents of fly-tipping in Sandwell
are now double the national average. Will the Minister set out
further how the Government are working with councils to catch and
punish these dreadful fly-tippers?
I pay tribute to Sandwell Litter Watch, and to Destination Barr
Hill in my constituency, who get out and about every weekend to
clean up other people's mess. We will crack down on fly-tipping,
establishing clean-up squads and forcing those who dump rubbish
or vandalise our fields to join in the clean-up. The National
Fly-Tipping Prevention Group has produced a guide on how local
authorities can present robust prosecutions to support tougher
sentences. The Government will also explore further options with
the Ministry of Justice's sentencing review.
I am afraid that I have to add to the litany of terrible
statistics about fly-tipping in rural areas: there were over
1,500 incidents of rural fly-tipping in my constituency of
Redditch, with only one fixed penalty notice given to an
offender. Can the Minister tell us more about how she hopes to
work with local authorities like mine to ensure that the people
committing these crimes are brought to justice?
I understand that my hon. Friend's council has just changed
political colour, so I hope that the new Labour administration
will take the problem a lot more seriously. I am aware that waste
permit exemptions allow low-risk waste activities to be carried
out under a registration scheme, and that that can be abused by
criminals. Let us not be under any illusion: there is serious
organised crime in this area. I am considering proposals to
tighten the regime, and I am happy to speak to my hon. Friend's
council about how we tackle this together.
Fly-tipping is a growing concern among residents of Stafford,
Eccleshall and the villages. Many constituents are increasingly
frustrated with the persistent illegal dumping of waste. Will the
Minister meet me to discuss how her Department is cleaning up the
mess left by the last Government and how the proposed measures
will directly address fly-tipping and improve the situation for
my constituents?
I am aware of some serious incidents in my hon. Friend's
constituency, including one where a significant amount of rubbish
was fly-tipped on a driveway near a school and pupils suffered
bad health impacts. I am concerned that the carrier, broker and
dealer regime that the last Government left is far too weak and
not fit for purpose. I am actively considering how the regime can
be reviewed, and I will be happy to meet my hon. Friend to hear
her input.
(Strangford) (DUP)
It is nice to see the hon. Lady back in the House and elevated to
a Government position—well done. The Northern Ireland Environment
Agency has revealed that it has cleaned up some 306 illegal waste
sites in the last two years, with taxpayers footing the bill of
half a million pounds—equivalent to 15 nurses' wages. What
discussions has the Minister had with the Minister in the
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs back
home in Northern Ireland about the cost associated with
fly-tipping?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his kind remarks. I met his
colleague from DAERA at an inter-ministerial group in September.
I am aware of the concerns in rural areas about fly-tipping,
which blights swathes of our countryside. I am working with the
National Farmers Union and others through the National
Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to promote good practice, including
on private land. We know from the national waste crime survey
that 86% of landowners and farmers have been affected by this
terrible crime.
Food Security
(Caerfyrddin) (PC)
3. What steps he is taking to improve food security. (901139)
The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs ()
The hon. Lady will know that there are many facets to food
security, but the £5 billion budget settlement for the next two
years sends an important message to food producers about the
stability and continuity they can look forward to. Our work on
supply chain fairness will add to that, and we will be making
more announcements in the coming weeks and months.
Today, the Chancellor is hailing the benefits of free trade in a
plea to Donald Trump. However, any future trade deal with the
United States will enable cheap food, such as hormone-treated
beef, to flood our markets, which would be devastating for
farmers and food security. Will the Secretary of State take this
opportunity to rule out any trade deal that undermines our
British farmers?
We have always been very clear that we will do nothing in trade
deals that would undermine this country's important
standards.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
Dr (Epping Forest) (Con)
Food security is national security, and underpinning it are
farmers and farmland. Labour's ill-judged and heartless family
farm tax will put all of that in jeopardy: family farms lost;
tenant farmers unable to continue farming; communities hollowed
out; rural mental health damaged; and precious food-producing
land lost to developers or investors. No farms, no food. No
farmers, no food. Will the Government please now admit that they
have got this catastrophically wrong? Will they do the right
thing by reversing this farm tax to protect our country's food
security?
I welcome the hon. Gentleman to his place. Let me say once again
that it is important to treat this subject carefully. We must
look at the facts and listen to people who know about it. I was
asked earlier by someone else whether this measure was wrong, but
we should look at what Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal
Studies and other tax experts have said. There are many ways in
which this can be managed, and I encourage the hon. Gentleman to
join me in reassuring British farmers about their future.
Flood Resilience
Dr (Stoke-on-Trent South)
(Lab)
4. What progress the floods resilience taskforce has made on
protecting at-risk communities from flooding. (901140)
(Peterborough) (Lab)
14. What progress the floods resilience taskforce has made on
protecting at-risk communities from flooding. (901152)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
I am sure the whole House will join me in expressing sympathy
with the communities of the Valencia region and across Spain
following the dreadful flooding.
This Government's floods resilience taskforce marks a new
approach by national, regional and local government, and by flood
risk partners, to better co-ordinate flood preparedness. It met
on 12 September, with 40 attendees from 27 organisations agreeing
actions including sharing learning from recent floods. This
Government will invest £2.4 billion over the next two years to
improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building
flood defences. Yesterday, at the Association of Drainage
Authorities conference, I announced that we will allocate a
further £50 million to the internal drainage boards.
Dr Gardner
I also send my best wishes to the citizens of Valencia and the
surrounding region.
As the Secretary of State knows very well, the village of Upper
Tean is frequently affected by flooding and sewage discharges.
After visiting the Environment Agency, it was suggested that the
parish council should set up a flood action group to help to
tackle the causes and prevent further impacts of flooding. Will
the Secretary of State and the Minister responsible for flooding
meet me to discuss the support they can offer to the village in
setting up a flood action group?
I was delighted to hear that the village is proactively setting
up a flood action group. Of course, I appreciate the wonderful
work that my hon. Friend is doing to support the village. The
Government fully support collaboration between risk management
authorities, including local Environment Agency teams and local
communities, and we are committed to hearing from people on the
ground via the new taskforce. Of course, I would be happy to meet
them.
I welcome my hon. Friend's answer. We talk a lot in this House
about extreme weather and flooding, but we do not talk enough
about the vital role that our internal drainage boards play in
protecting and keeping safe our agricultural land and farming. I
welcome the Government's inclusion of the internal drainage
boards on the taskforce, and I welcome the money that the
Minister put into the system yesterday. That is in stark contrast
with the first actions of the 2010 Conservative Government, who
cut flood defences by a horrifying 27%.
Will the Minister join me in congratulating the work of my
internal drainage board and outline how she will work with it in
future?
I was delighted to speak at the Association of Drainage
Authorities conference yesterday, to champion its work and to
announce that, after listening to it very carefully, we will
provide £50 million over two years—[Interruption.] In answer to
the chuntering, the first part has already been spent.
(Salisbury) (Con)
Many of my constituents who live south of Salisbury are concerned
about the interaction between flood risk assessments and new
house building. Will the Minister assure the House that her work
is fully integrated with the Government's house building plans so
that people can be reassured that, when land is designated for
building new homes, flood risk is properly taken into account so
that house building is restricted if there are no mitigations in
place?
The right hon. Gentleman is right about the importance of
ensuring adequate flood protection when we build new homes.
Yesterday, we announced a review of the flood funding formula. We
will be looking at nature-based solutions and sustainable urban
drainage systems, so I hope that offers him some reassurance.
Dame (West Worcestershire)
(Con)
I associate myself with the Minister's remarks about the flood
victims in Spain.
Flood victims in Tenbury Wells were concerned to see in the
Budget Red Book that capital spending on flood defences is under
review. Will the Minister tell the House whether the bid that she
will be making to the spending review for flood defences will be
higher or lower than it is currently?
The hon. Lady and I have met many times to discuss the issue of
flooding. I can reassure her that we will be investing £2.4
billion over the next two years to improve flood resilience by
maintaining, repairing and building flood defences.
Water Pollution
(Stratford-on-Avon)
(LD)
5. What steps he is taking to help tackle unlawful discharges of
sewage into waterways by water companies. (901141)
(Bolton West) (Lab)
16. What steps his Department is taking to help prevent water
pollution by utility companies. (901154)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
I welcome the new shadow Ministers to their place—as well, of
course, the returning one. Under the previous Government, water
companies got away with discharging record levels of sewage into
our rivers, lakes and seas, leaving them in an appalling polluted
state. That is why we are taking immediate action to place the
water companies under special measures, with legislation going
through Parliament right now that will ban the payment of unfair
bonuses to water company executives. We have also launched a
commission that will lead a root and branch review of the entire
sector, so that we can clean up our waterways for good.
In my constituency of Stratford-on-Avon, the River Avon and its
tributaries have been heavily polluted by untreated sewage
discharges. We know this because of a citizen science project,
which sees residents testing for pollutants regularly along the
rivers and brooks. Their efforts are supported by community
initiatives such as SafeAvon and groups like Stratford Climate
Action. Will the Government commit to and resource a national
environmental monitoring strategy to better understand the
overall health of water bodies, and will they commit to requiring
water companies to monitor volumes as well as duration of storm
overflows?
The hon. Lady is quite right to be concerned about the state of
the River Avon. We want to move towards a catchment-based
approach to water, so we can look at all the inputs and be clear
about how we can clean them up. Her point about monitoring will
be considered by the commission led by Sir . I hope that she and other colleagues will make
their submissions to Sir Jon for his review, which is due to
conclude in 2025.
I wholeheartedly welcome the Water (Special Measures) Bill as a
package of reforms to end the systemic dumping of sewage into our
rivers, lakes and seas by water companies, while huge sums are
being paid out by the same firms to shareholders. However, laws
are only ever as good as their enforcement, and effective
enforcement requires adequate resourcing. Will the Secretary of
State consider how the enforcement agencies might be self-funding
to a degree, with money raised from fines levied on polluting
water firms reinvested into the likes of the Environment
Agency?
My hon. Friend makes an important point. He will be reassured to
know that precisely the points he raises will be brought into law
in the Water (Special Measures) Bill, which will soon be arriving
in the Chamber, so that polluters will pay for further
enforcement action. That way we have a virtuous circle to help
clean up our waterways.
Government Support for Farmers
Dr (Bexhill and Battle)
(Con)
6. What recent discussions he has had with the National Farmers
Union on the adequacy of Government support for farmers.
(901142)
The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs ()
As the hon. Gentleman would expect, I have regular meetings with
all the key stakeholders, and I speak to the National Farmers
Union on a regular basis.
Dr Mullan
My local NFU representative, Gillian van der Meer, makes clear
her concerns and those of many other local farmers about the
impact of Labour's family farm tax. I find it extraordinary that
the Minister seems to think that, even if we accept his figures,
it is okay that hundreds of farms will be affected. I appreciate
that a U-turn can be difficult in the Westminster bubble, but I
find the public are much more understanding and would welcome the
Government realising that they have got this wrong. Does he agree
that they have got this policy wrong and that it is time for a
rethink?
What I would say is that I have had more meetings with Tom
Bradshaw over the past few weeks than I have had for a long, long
time, for reasons that are entirely obvious. I was grateful to
him for congratulating the Government on getting a very good
financial settlement for farmers when he addressed the egg and
poultry industry conference on Monday in Newport, Wales. I was
grateful that he recognised that.
Nature-friendly Farming
(North Herefordshire)
(Green)
8. What steps he plans to take to support nature-friendly
farming.(901144)
The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs ()
I point the hon. Lady to the extraordinary transformation that is
under way, with the huge amount of extra money going into the
sustainable farm incentive and our environmental land management
schemes this year. It is the biggest transformation on
record.
I recognise the very welcome shift towards nature-friendly
farming, which offers environmental, social and economic
benefits—not just nature protection, but good healthy food and
good jobs—yet the farmer-led Nature Friendly Farming Network
argues that the agriculture budget needs to be more than doubled
to £6 billion a year. Will the Minister press his Treasury
colleagues to put more money into nature-friendly farming to
secure a sustainable future for UK farming?
I am grateful to the hon. Lady for her support for the transition
that we are undertaking. In fact, I was speaking to Martin Lines
from the Nature Friendly Farming Network only yesterday evening.
He and many of his colleagues are delighted with the transition
that we are making, but, as ever, the Greens' grasp of economics
is limited.
Crustacean Die-off
Mr (Hartlepool) (Lab)
9. What recent progress his Department has made on investigating
crustacean die-offs along the north-east coast in
2021.(901145)
The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs ()
An independent expert panel reviewed the 2021 crustacean die-off
event and published its findings last year. It could not identify
a clear single cause for the crustacean mortality. The Government
are keeping the situation under review and a coastal health
programme was recently established to improve coastal
monitoring.
Mr Brash
The die-off on the north-east coast has devastated an industry
that has served Hartlepool for generations. Fishermen, such as my
constituent Stan Rennie, and their families want three things:
support in the face of their livelihoods being decimated; a plan
to repopulate and rebuild their industry; and, finally, answers
to how this happened in the first place. Will the Minister meet
me and fishermen from Hartlepool to discuss a way forward on this
issue?
My hon. Friend is a passionate defender of his community. I
extend my sympathy to all those who find themselves under
pressure when these kind of events happen and I would be very
happy to meet him to discuss the matter further.
International Trade Agreements
(Sefton Central) (Lab)
11. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure
that future international trade agreements support the farming
sector.(901148)
The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs ()
Supporting farmers is a priority of this Government. We have been
clear that we will protect farmers from being undercut by low
welfare and low standards in trade deals. We are also working to
reset our relationship with our European friends to strengthen
ties and tackle barriers, and helping boost trade to the EU
through a UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary veterinary
agreement.
Some farmers benefited from international trade agreements under
the previous Government. Unfortunately, it was mostly Australian
and New Zealand farmers, not British farmers, who benefited. Will
my hon. Friend confirm that this Government will prioritise
British farmers who want to export, not least those who want to
export to the European Union, through a veterinary agreement with
the EU?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right that what happened to the
British farming industry was one of the great betrayals of the
previous Government. Those trade deals did no credit to our
country, but we will take a different approach and develop a much
more constructive relationship with our near neighbours.
Therefore, the answer to my hon. Friend's question is yes.
Sir (Herne Bay and Sandwich)
(Con)
There will be small point in protecting farmers in international
trade agreements if Government policy is undermining those same
farmers domestically. How many thousands of farmers will it take
to clog up Parliament Square next Tuesday before the Government
realise that their inheritance tax policy is very deeply
flawed?
Once again, I direct right the hon. Gentleman back to the figures
from the Treasury, which show that the numbers affected are under
500. That is the answer to his question.
Water Sector Commission
Ms (East Thanet) (Lab)
13. What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the
independent commission on the water sector regulatory system
strengthens regulation.(901151)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
The independent commission on the water sector was launched on 23
October and will be chaired by Sir . It is the biggest review of the industry since
privatisation and will report next summer. It will focus on
boosting investability, speeding up the delivery of water
infrastructure and cleaning up our waterways.
Ms Billington
Southern Water is responsible for blighting beaches with raw
sewage along Ramsgate, Margate and Broadstairs, yet it plans on
increasing household bills by 73% over the next five years, and
the chief executive officers of Southern Water have received £4
million over the last five years in bonuses and salaries. Will
the new independent commission do something about this egregious
situation?
I congratulate my hon. Friend on campaigning for her local water
consumers. She is right to point to the wide failings across the
system. We have charged Sir with leading a commission that will look at how we
can completely reset the sector—regulation, governance and how
the sector operates—so that the levels of pollution and failure
under the previous Government can never be repeated.
Rebecca (South West Devon) (Con)
In 2013, the previous Government introduced a rebate of £50 per
household on the water bills of customers in the far south-west.
With 3% of the country's population paying to keep a third of our
bathing beaches clean on lower-than-average salaries, will the
Secretary of State please reconsider the decision to scrap that
rebate for constituents such as mine, which was quietly announced
just before the recess?
It is important that support is targeted at the most vulnerable,
so we will look at what more can be done through social tariffs
to support families who are at risk of being unable to pay future
water bills. It is right that we prioritise the poorest.
Topical Questions
Dr (Worthing West) (Lab)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.(901182)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
As we have heard this morning, the public are rightly furious
about the filthy, polluted state in which the previous
Administration left our rivers, lakes and seas. That is why there
is such strong support for the Water (Special Measures) Bill,
which is working its way through Parliament. I urge all Members
to make submissions to Sir Jon Cunliffe's review, and to
encourage their constituents to feed in to it. This is our chance
to conduct a root-and-branch review of the entire sector to
ensure that it is fit for the future and will properly serve both
consumers and the environment for decades to come.
Dr Cooper
Research estimates that as many as 170 dolphins and other mammals
are caught and killed every year off the Sussex coast, yet no
bycatch data is recorded. Will the Secretary of State please
outline how he is ensuring that supertrawlers operating in UK
waters are fulfilling their legal duty to report marine mammal
bycatch to the Marine Management Organisation?
Vessels are, of course, already required to report marine mammal
bycatch. We are looking at implementing remote electronic
monitoring on larger vessels to gather better data about fishing
activities. We are also working to improve our marine environment
by ratifying the biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction
agreement, enforcing fishing restrictions in marine protected
areas, and ensuring that all catch limits are set
sustainably.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Louth and Horncastle)
(Con)
I wish His Majesty the King a very happy birthday.
The Chancellor, the Secretary of State and the Food Minister
claim that their family farm tax will affect only a quarter of
farms, yet after informed questioning by the National Farmers
Union, the Country Land and Business Association, the Tenant
Farmers Association and Conservative Members, the Minister has
now admitted that the Government need to check their figures.
Should the cost of the family farm tax to farming families not
have been checked before the Budget?
The data from His Majesty's Revenue and Customs is crystal clear:
three quarters of farmers will pay nothing as a result of the
changes. Family farming will continue into future generations, as
it should.
The Secretary of State perhaps needs to ask his Food Minister why
he said at the Agricultural Industries Confederation conference
that the Government are checking the figures. Let me help the
Secretary of State out. He can explain the veracity and accuracy
of his figures next week, when thousands of farmers come to
Westminster to rally against the family farm tax, the delinking
of payments, the hike in national insurance and other tax hikes
on working farms in the Budget. Will he come?
It is very important that the Government listen to farmers, and
of course we will do so, but I know that farmers are reasonable
people. They will want to look at the facts and, like everybody
else, if they drill into the HMRC data they will see that three
quarters of them will end up paying no more under the new system
than they do today.
(East Worthing and Shoreham)
(Lab)
T4. Sewage spills are a scourge for my residents, and not just in
the sea but in the street too. Raw sewage and used toilet roll
flooded a street in Southwick recently. What are the Government's
plans to force the water companies to upgrade their
infrastructure and bring an end to those foul, smelly spills that
are blighting the lives of local residents?(901185)
My hon. Friend raises an important point. He is a strong
campaigner in his constituency against the failings of the water
company and the high levels of pollution resulting from the
failures of the previous Government, so I know that he is backing
the Water (Special Measures) Bill that is working its way through
Parliament, and that he will support Sir Jon Cunliffe's
commission, as we seek to reset the sector by changing its
regulation and governance so that it works better for consumers
and the environment.
(North East Fife)
(LD)
T2. The puffins and other native seabirds in my constituency on
the Isle of May were very grateful for the ban on sand eel
fishing and trawling, but that ban is now subject to legal
challenge. Will the Secretary of State commit to fighting that
legal challenge?(901183)
The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs ()
The hon. Lady raises an important question. That is a delicate
issue because it has been raised by the European Union, but we
are absolutely determined to maintain our position.
(Lichfield) (Lab)
T5. I welcome the record allocation for agriculture in the
Budget. However, the simple fact is that that agriculture budget
is no good if it stays in the Whitehall coffers. Last year, there
was a £300 million underspend in the agriculture budget, worth
more than £1,400 on average for every single farm holding in the
country. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to guarantee
that every single penny of that budget gets to communities such
as Lichfield, Burntwood and the villages?(901186)
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is extraordinary, given
all the sound and fury from the Opposition, that they did not
even spend the money that was available. This Government will
ensure that every penny we have gets to farmers, because we are
on the side of British farmers, rather than whipping them up in
the kind of irresponsible way that the Conservative party has
been doing.
(West Dorset) (LD)
T3. Family farms across West Dorset fear closure as a result of
the Government's planned changes to agricultural property relief
and business property relief, and I urge Ministers to rethink the
policy. The Budget also included the announcement of a UK carbon
border adjustment mechanism to be introduced on 1 January 2027.
That will place a carbon price on goods imported to the UK,
including fertiliser. A carbon tax on fertiliser will only
increase the cost of production for farmers struggling to compete
with cheap imports, and drive up costs for consumers. What
assessment has been made of that?(901184)
The proposal for a carbon border adjustment mechanism was
supported by the previous Government, and we have confirmed it.
It is complicated in the way it will work, and it will not affect
people before 2027-28. The Liberal Democrats have shown once
again that when it comes to environmental issues, they cannot be
trusted.
(Gedling) (Lab)
T7. Residents in Woodborough village have faced the devastation
of flooding far too many times in recent years. Will my right
hon. Friend the Secretary of State therefore work with me,
Woodborough flood action group and Woodborough parish council to
bring forward a much-needed flood alleviation scheme for that
village?(901188)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
Protecting communities from flooding is a top priority. That is
why we have launched the flood resilience taskforce and are
investing £2.4 billion over this year and the next to improve
flood resilience. We have also announced another £50 million
investment into the internal drainage boards. I commend my hon.
Friend for his work with local flood action groups, and I am keen
to hear how the matter progresses throughout this Parliament.
Mr (Newbury) (LD)
T6. Last year, the River Lambourn suffered 266 sewage spills from
storm overflows, causing irreversible harm to a rare chalk
stream. Will the relevant Minister meet me urgently to discuss
plans to address that in Newbury?(901187)
I can certainly ensure that the relevant Minister meets the hon.
Gentleman. I hope that he will also feed his views into Sir Jon
Cunliffe's review, as Sir Jon will be considering catchment-wide
approaches that will better protect chalk streams.
(Macclesfield) (Lab)
Will my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State update the House
on progress in creating three new national forests, and, as it is
my birthday, may I extend to him an invitation to visit
Macclesfield forest in my constituency?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
I wish my hon. Friend a very happy birthday, and I join him in
celebrating the 75-year anniversary of the National Parks and
Access to the Countryside Act 1949. That pioneering Labour
Government created groundbreaking laws so that every citizen
could have access to nature's beauty. We will protect that
access, and we will set up three new national forests—and who
knows where they will be?
(Richmond and Northallerton)
(Con)
In our increasingly volatile world, I am sure the Secretary of
State will agree that food security is of growing importance to
our national resilience. I hope he will commit the new Government
to continuing to publish the annual food security index, with the
next update coming at next year's farm to fork summit.
It is a pleasure to take a question from the distinguished former
Prime Minister. We are reviewing the data that we can publish,
and we want to be as open and transparent as possible. I think
that is good for the sector and good for scrutiny, but we will
announce in due course precisely how it will operate.
Mr (Chesterfield) (Lab)
I thank the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull
West and Haltemprice (), for coming back to me about
the River Hipper scheme, which is of huge importance in my
constituency. May I invite her to come to Chesterfield to meet
people affected by the flood and see the Holymoorside scheme,
which could make a real difference?
It is always a pleasure to work with my hon. Friend, and I know
how passionately and well he campaigned for his community during
the last floods, and how deeply the situation moved him. Of
course I would be more than happy to continue to work with
him.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Committee.
Mr (Orkney and Shetland)
(LD)
I congratulate the Secretary of State, and indeed the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, on the achievement of the Budget: in 23 years
in this House, I have never seen such a degree of unity among
farming organisations in their response to it. One point on which
there seems to be no disagreement is that the removal of the
ringfence around agricultural payments to Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland is a bad move. Nobody asked for it. Why did the
Government do it, and what do they expect to achieve with it?
The right hon. Gentleman will be aware that we have announced the
biggest Budget for sustainable farming—£5 billion over the next
two years—in the history of our country, and that is to be
welcomed by everybody in the sector and everybody who cares about
it. This is a Government who believe in devolution. We believe
that devolved Administrations should have the right to take
decisions about their own countries. The consequentials mean that
the appropriate level of funding will continue to go to those
devolved Administrations, and our support for devolution means
that the devolved Administrations will take their own decisions
about the best way to spend it.
(Mid Cheshire) (Lab)
Chester zoo, in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for
Chester North and Neston (), does important and
nationally leading conservation work. Zoos nationwide have faced
regulatory uncertainty for nearly three years because of the
previous Government's delay in publishing new zoo standards. Will
my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out when the
Department plans to publish the updated version of the standards
of modern zoo practice, to drive improvements in animal welfare
and provide certainty to those institutions?
I have visited Chester zoo and seen the wonderful work that it
does in species conservation. I will endeavour to write to my
hon. Friend to update him on the regulations.
Sir (Kenilworth and Southam)
(Con)
The Government have justified their inheritance tax changes for
farmers on the basis that they are concerned about people gaining
short-term tax advantage by buying agricultural land. May I
therefore ask whether, instead of the sweeping changes that they
made, the Government considered an approach that would limit the
IHT exemption to those who could demonstrate that the family farm
had been in family ownership for a certain number of years? If
that approach was explored, why was it not pursued? If it was not
explored, why not?
We have had a lot of debate about this issue, and I am perfectly
happy to have discussions with hon. Members about the tax regime
in general. One of the beneficial aspects of this policy may be
to get the generational shift that farming in this country needs
so much. There are many parts to this policy. It is a complicated
policy, and in future we will have further discussions.
(Tipton and Wednesbury)
(Lab)
On 2 and 3 November, a massive burst water main in my
constituency left 8,000 homes without water for more than 12
hours. The response of the water company, South Staffs Water, was
slow, ineffective and secretive. Will the Minister remind South
Staffs Water, and all water companies, of their responsibilities
to help residents and work with local stakeholders following an
incident?
What a tireless champion my hon. Friend has been in campaigning
on this issue. She is quite right to feel offended by the poor
level of communication she has had from the water company, and I
hope that it hears the message loud and clear that water
companies need to work with, and communicate more effectively
with, Members of Parliament in the areas that they represent.
(Great Yarmouth) (Reform)
This week, John McTernan, an adviser to , publicly stated that farming
should be treated in the same way that Margaret Thatcher treated
the miners, and that it was an industry the country could “do
without”. As a farmer, I find this incorrect, offensive and
deluded. Does the Minister agree?
Yes.
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