:00:22. > :00:25.In an hour, the forthcoming business will be announced and questions
:00:26. > :00:29.taken. After that, there are two debates to be put forward by
:00:30. > :00:36.backbench MPs. Join me tonight, but first we have questions can I also
:00:37. > :00:49.add from this side of the House congratulations. It includes
:00:50. > :00:52.questions on the household cost and spending on food, including the
:00:53. > :01:00.lowest 20% of households. This figure has remained reasonably
:01:01. > :01:05.stable at around 16% for many years. Thank you, Mr Speaker, I thank the
:01:06. > :01:09.Minister but he knows as well as I do that that is not good enough. We
:01:10. > :01:21.have an estimated 8.4 million people living in food insecure households.
:01:22. > :01:24.There have been calls from so many organisations for the Government to
:01:25. > :01:31.adopt a household food and security measurement. Why will the Government
:01:32. > :01:35.not admit that the resistance to admitting this is that once they
:01:36. > :01:40.admit the scale of hunger, they would have to do recognise that it
:01:41. > :01:44.is largely caused by their own punitive welfare policies. I
:01:45. > :01:48.fundamentally disagree with the honourable lady. This Government
:01:49. > :01:52.have got more people back into work than ever before and the best way to
:01:53. > :01:55.tackle poverty is to help people get off of benefits and into work. I
:01:56. > :02:00.would say to the honourable lady that we have through the LC Access
:02:01. > :02:07.and established measure of how much the lowest income household spending
:02:08. > :02:12.on food, a consistent measure, and we can benchmark changes here and
:02:13. > :02:20.here. That has been very stable. It was 16% when the party opposite were
:02:21. > :02:26.in power and it is 16% now. Food insecurity is a terrible thing and
:02:27. > :02:28.this is exacerbated by low income households spending money on food
:02:29. > :02:35.that is not good for them. During the war, war time households knew
:02:36. > :02:38.how to budget and nutrition improved. Could we learned some
:02:39. > :02:46.lessons from the wartime generation about how best to feed people? My
:02:47. > :02:49.colleagues in the Department for help publish lots of very good
:02:50. > :02:53.guidance and run lots of very good campaigns to encourage healthy
:02:54. > :02:57.eating. In addition, we have the School food programme which is
:02:58. > :03:01.aiming to improve the nutrition of food in schools so that children
:03:02. > :03:05.learn lifelong good habits. I agree with the honourable gentleman that
:03:06. > :03:08.actually it is possible to eat very good nutritious food and the cost
:03:09. > :03:14.and price of it has been remarkably stable. And visits to my local food
:03:15. > :03:18.banks, what I hear is that the number of people relying on them is
:03:19. > :03:21.going up. Isn't it true that the Government doesn't want to collect
:03:22. > :03:26.this type of data because they would have to admit the failure of their
:03:27. > :03:31.policies, not least the fact that getting into a job is no longer
:03:32. > :03:40.route out of policy because of -- out of poverty, because of in work
:03:41. > :03:48.poverty. This is the Government that introduced a national living wage,
:03:49. > :03:52.raising standards. I have visited my local food bank and I have sent
:03:53. > :03:56.people to visit people having complex issues in their lives. There
:03:57. > :04:00.are many issues that relate to poverty and I would ask all members
:04:01. > :04:09.to work closely with their local food banks as my office does. With
:04:10. > :04:13.permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to group questions two and six. The
:04:14. > :04:17.United Kingdom complies with legislation for nearly all air
:04:18. > :04:22.pollutants but faces challenges in achieving nitrogen dioxide limits
:04:23. > :04:33.including 16 other European union states. We have committed ?290
:04:34. > :04:37.million in the Autumn Statement to support green transport. We should
:04:38. > :04:40.all recognise that air quality is improving but we recognise we must
:04:41. > :04:48.go further and faster and we will support a new programme in April. I
:04:49. > :04:51.thanked her for her answer but I think she is aware of the rail
:04:52. > :05:04.scheme which would take 5 million lorries off of the roads each year,
:05:05. > :05:09.lowering emissions. With Felixstowe in my constituency, I am fully aware
:05:10. > :05:15.of the advantages of rail freight. I would stress to the honourable
:05:16. > :05:21.gentleman that the departments of Defra works closely with others and
:05:22. > :05:28.shifting freight onto rail is a key part of any future strategy. You are
:05:29. > :05:32.aware of the controversial cruise liner terminal at and wharf in
:05:33. > :05:38.Greenwich. With the impact of that in mind, can she tell us when the
:05:39. > :05:43.Government expects to publish a review into shorter shift power? The
:05:44. > :05:48.honourable gentleman will be aware that an environmental impact
:05:49. > :05:55.assessment was considered when looking at that planning application
:05:56. > :05:57.but, as he will be aware also, the Minister for transport is committed
:05:58. > :06:02.to looking further at what can be done and I'm sure he's making
:06:03. > :06:07.progress on that. Does the Minister agree that British businesses have
:06:08. > :06:10.made great strides in recent years in producing technologies which
:06:11. > :06:15.enable us to improve air quality, such as the taxis that now run in
:06:16. > :06:19.Birmingham on LPG and the adaptation of buses that have significantly
:06:20. > :06:23.cleaned up the air on Oxford Street? I agree with my right honourable
:06:24. > :06:27.friend and her vast experience in this area is added to by her local
:06:28. > :06:33.knowledge of the city of Birmingham and support going on there. I can
:06:34. > :06:40.say that this Government made substantial chasuble settlement with
:06:41. > :06:43.the previous mayor and I do know that air pollution has continued on
:06:44. > :06:52.Oxford Street in the last year, so -- specifically with the grants that
:06:53. > :06:57.were provided. Areas of corn will suffer with high pollution because
:06:58. > :07:01.of the 839 running through the high street. And my honourable friend
:07:02. > :07:08.congratulate the town council for the work they have done to improve
:07:09. > :07:10.their air pollution. I have made it clear before that national
:07:11. > :07:16.Government and local Government both have a role to play in tackling such
:07:17. > :07:22.things and we will continue to work with my right honourable friend on
:07:23. > :07:26.this matter. The College of physicians have stated that air
:07:27. > :07:29.pollution contributes to approximately 40,000 deaths in the
:07:30. > :07:33.UK every year and that these emissions have been poorly
:07:34. > :07:43.regulated. What progress is the Government making in that field? Mr
:07:44. > :07:47.Speaker, we have seen this nitrous oxide levels falling. I recognise
:07:48. > :07:51.not quickly enough. The Labour Government signed us up to achieve
:07:52. > :07:57.this by 2010 and failed spectacularly. We will continue to
:07:58. > :08:01.strive for this. Does my honourable friend agree that one of the ways to
:08:02. > :08:05.make real progress on air quality is to forge ahead with ultralow
:08:06. > :08:10.emission vehicles and given that Norway now has 25% of the cars on
:08:11. > :08:13.its road either electric or hybrid, does she agree that we need a real
:08:14. > :08:19.turbo-charge bees to get ahead in this area? My honourable friend is
:08:20. > :08:23.absolutely right. The low emission vehicle industry is a competitive
:08:24. > :08:27.advantage for this country and that is why the Government is backing
:08:28. > :08:31.them through the office of load -- low emission vehicles and also the
:08:32. > :08:34.many millions of pounds that have been spent on improving the charging
:08:35. > :08:42.infrastructure up and down this country. Many happy returns, Mr
:08:43. > :08:47.Speaker, to both you and reverend rose. Mr Speaker, the Government has
:08:48. > :08:53.lost the confidence of this House on air quality. Over 50,000 people are
:08:54. > :08:55.dying prematurely each year because of air pollution and many more are
:08:56. > :09:02.suffering associated health conditions. With no guarantee from
:09:03. > :09:06.either the Prime Minister or the Secretary of State that last
:09:07. > :09:11.December's strict EU laws will be introduced post-Brexit, how can the
:09:12. > :09:15.country trust a Government -- the Government to ensure cleaner air in
:09:16. > :09:19.future? The honourable lady refers to a lack of trust in this
:09:20. > :09:24.Government. I think that is somewhat pot calling kettle black. It is the
:09:25. > :09:28.Labour Government that introduced fiscal incentives for people to
:09:29. > :09:31.switch to diesel cars, the Labour Government who signed up to these
:09:32. > :09:35.guidelines. Air quality is better than it was under a Labour
:09:36. > :09:49.Government. That is an incontrovertible fact. Or even
:09:50. > :09:53.incontrovertible fact. Happy birthday, Mr Speaker. Hill farmers
:09:54. > :09:57.play a critical role not just in producing high-quality food but also
:09:58. > :10:00.delivering environmental benefits for all of the public in our
:10:01. > :10:07.beautiful landscapes. Leaving the EU gives us a great opportunity to look
:10:08. > :10:12.again at their contribution to developing and delivering our twin
:10:13. > :10:17.ambitions, to have a world leading food and farming industry and at the
:10:18. > :10:20.same time a better environment for future generations. I am grateful
:10:21. > :10:24.for that response from the Secretary of State. Of course, paying for
:10:25. > :10:28.environmental goods will only work as a strategy if the hill farms are
:10:29. > :10:34.financially viable and she knows some of them are earning ?14,000 a
:10:35. > :10:40.year, so income support mechanisms will still be necessary. And she
:10:41. > :10:43.guarantee that in future trade negotiations, she will not allow a
:10:44. > :10:49.flood of cheap New Zealand lamb which will put them out of business?
:10:50. > :10:55.Well, the honourable lady will be aware that we have undertaken from
:10:56. > :11:01.the very first days in the job to commit to the levels of current
:11:02. > :11:05.support for all Pirlo payments until 2020 to give that continuity to
:11:06. > :11:12.farmers and businesses. We have committed to our consultation on the
:11:13. > :11:16.future of the food and farming sector in the 25 year plan and that
:11:17. > :11:19.will be looking very closely at the level of support that is needed but
:11:20. > :11:24.I absolutely agree with her. We will need to look at what we can do for
:11:25. > :11:25.the future to ensure that hill farmers remove viable and
:11:26. > :11:36.sustainable. The Secretary of State is right,
:11:37. > :11:42.there is a real opportunity to create a system of rule support that
:11:43. > :11:47.is the spoke for the United Kingdom that is environmental, economic and
:11:48. > :11:49.social policy. In that respect, giving ministers the opportunity of
:11:50. > :11:52.moving money up the hill to protect those who are clinging on economic
:11:53. > :11:58.Lee is an opportunity I hope she will grasp. Well, my honourable
:11:59. > :12:04.friend is knowledgeable in this area, and his input will be
:12:05. > :12:09.extremely useful when it comes to our consultation, but he is right to
:12:10. > :12:16.say this is a unique opportunity for us to create a policy that works for
:12:17. > :12:19.us, not for 28 EU member states, and that is exactly what we will be
:12:20. > :12:27.consulting on and what we will be delivering. Happy birthday from me.
:12:28. > :12:30.I wondered if the Secretary of State under chief executive of the rural
:12:31. > :12:36.payments agency would tolerate waiting 13.5 months for their salary
:12:37. > :12:40.cheque to arrive. And that is what 50 hill farmers have had to do
:12:41. > :12:45.waiting for the December 2015 farm payment. And hundreds more are
:12:46. > :12:53.weighted up to one year to get the payments also. In the 2016-17 year,
:12:54. > :12:55.they have been told they will be at the back of the queue to receive
:12:56. > :13:00.payments for their farm again. Will she commit to make sure those 50 are
:13:01. > :13:04.paid immediately and also will she commit that those hill farmers at
:13:05. > :13:10.the back of the queue last year will be at the front of the queue this
:13:11. > :13:21.year? I am afraid he is just not appraised of the facts. The facts
:13:22. > :13:26.are there are very few... The honourable lady shouts from the
:13:27. > :13:29.bench 2000. People have received a payment and there are some
:13:30. > :13:34.challenges to those payments that are still awaiting settlement. And I
:13:35. > :13:39.would like to say to the honourable gentleman that the RPA under Mark
:13:40. > :13:45.Grimshaw has strived to settle all outstanding claims, but there are
:13:46. > :13:48.people who are challenging those, understandably, but everybody has
:13:49. > :13:55.received a payment apart from a very small number, where there are issues
:13:56. > :13:58.like probate concerns, legal challenges and inspection
:13:59. > :14:03.challenges. In terms of this year, Commons have been paid across the
:14:04. > :14:08.board and are about 92.8% of payments, which is a good
:14:09. > :14:17.achievement compared to last year. Thank you. Happy birthday from these
:14:18. > :14:22.benches also. Given that lamb as a product is now facing large tariffs,
:14:23. > :14:28.foreign payments become more important than ever. Long-term it is
:14:29. > :14:30.not just three years to 2020, the farming minister said we would get
:14:31. > :14:35.at least the same amount if not more. Yesterday I challenge the
:14:36. > :14:39.Secretary of State for Scotland, who said there is no suggestion that
:14:40. > :14:45.funding to Scottish agriculture will be cut after 2020. Can she offer the
:14:46. > :14:50.same assurance, payments will not go down after 2020? The assurance I can
:14:51. > :14:55.give to the honourable gentleman is we will be looking at how to achieve
:14:56. > :14:58.our twin ambitions of a world leading food and farming sector
:14:59. > :15:02.while ensuring we leave the environment in a better state than
:15:03. > :15:07.we are left it. We will look at the facts and then decide what level of
:15:08. > :15:13.funding is required in order to support those ambitions. We wish you
:15:14. > :15:19.a long life, Mr Speaker! LAUGHTER
:15:20. > :15:24.One of the great opportunities for farmers as we leave the EU as we
:15:25. > :15:32.scrap some of the bureaucratic rules that have limited the ability to
:15:33. > :15:34.maximise productivity and profitability.
:15:35. > :15:44.For example rules that dictate the number of crops they can grow. I
:15:45. > :15:48.thank her for her answer. As we free ourselves from the straitjacket of
:15:49. > :15:51.the common agricultural policy, that has added so many bureaucratic
:15:52. > :15:59.burdens to farmers, what assessment has she made of the financial burden
:16:00. > :16:02.that our farmers are facing as a result of the common agricultural
:16:03. > :16:09.policy, and what extra freedom will this mean for farmers in the future?
:16:10. > :16:13.He is absolutely right to draw attention to this issue. It is
:16:14. > :16:17.something we are determined to address as we develop new policies.
:16:18. > :16:23.Unnecessary rules cost farmers millions of pounds, and up to
:16:24. > :16:28.300,000 man hours each year, which says nothing of the lost
:16:29. > :16:32.opportunities. So I will be paying close attention in the coming months
:16:33. > :16:40.to find a solution that work for us, rather than 28 EU member states. I
:16:41. > :16:44.do not want to be nasty to anyone, especially on your birthday, but the
:16:45. > :16:52.fact is that this front bench it is sleepwalking into Brexit. We have
:16:53. > :16:57.heard so much from the Secretary of State before the Brexit vote, now we
:16:58. > :17:01.hear nothing. Our farmers, are people in the countryside know
:17:02. > :17:04.nothing about what is going to happen. They fear a new agricultural
:17:05. > :17:10.devastation in the countryside. What is she going to do about it? If that
:17:11. > :17:15.is his definition of not being nasty to anyone, that does not really work
:17:16. > :17:19.well! I am not sure Labour has much support in the countryside because
:17:20. > :17:26.they have done nothing for countryfolk. It is this side of the
:17:27. > :17:31.House that has ensured we continue with support until 2020, and all
:17:32. > :17:37.agri- environment schemes for their lifetime before we signed up to the
:17:38. > :17:41.EU, to ensure we have that business confidence. We are committed to a
:17:42. > :17:44.world leading food and farming industry while at the same time
:17:45. > :17:51.having an environment that is better than we inherited. Bizarre
:17:52. > :17:59.promotions and -- these are our ambitions and we will achieve them.
:18:00. > :18:03.Knowing what sort of Minister my right honourable friend is, I cannot
:18:04. > :18:09.really believe her team were fully briefed properly when they saw the
:18:10. > :18:15.nitro vulnerable zone regulation rolled out. I would be happy to meet
:18:16. > :18:20.and discuss this issue separately but I can assure him we looked very
:18:21. > :18:26.carefully at this issue. And as ever, there is a balance between
:18:27. > :18:35.successful, sustainable farming, food productivity and what is right
:18:36. > :18:37.for over environment. Happy birthday, Mr Speaker. Earlier this
:18:38. > :18:41.month the Secretary of State told the Oxford farming conference how
:18:42. > :18:45.excited she was about, quote, scrapping the rules that hold us
:18:46. > :18:49.back, saying we can all think of at least one EU law that we would not
:18:50. > :18:53.miss. That may be true, but I'm sure each of us can also think of at
:18:54. > :19:01.least one rule that we would miss. That we would want to keep. Can she
:19:02. > :19:06.share her choice with us? I have already shared a few choices, farm
:19:07. > :19:11.inspections, some of the rules around billboards and so on, but
:19:12. > :19:15.what I would like to say, and I know she cares a great deal about this
:19:16. > :19:23.matter, is that we will in the great repeal Bill, ring all EU legislation
:19:24. > :19:28.into UK law, so that the Prime Minister -- as the Prime Minister
:19:29. > :19:32.said, the rules will be the same today after we leave the EU. That is
:19:33. > :19:36.important for that continuity. And at that point we will look at and
:19:37. > :19:47.change those rules for the better to suit the needs of the United
:19:48. > :19:51.Kingdom. If only it were that easy. And incredibly vague answer, not a
:19:52. > :19:58.specific EU regulation mentioned. Those of us who value even the -- EU
:19:59. > :20:02.regulation on animal welfare will not find her answer reassuring. I
:20:03. > :20:13.assume that some kind of objective criteria have to be applied so that
:20:14. > :20:18.rules will not just be thrown onto the bonfire. What are those
:20:19. > :20:22.objective criteria? I am sorry if she perhaps didn't hear my previous
:20:23. > :20:27.answer. I made extremely clear that the day after we leave the EU the
:20:28. > :20:31.rules will be the same as the day before. After that we will be
:20:32. > :20:35.seeking to meet our twin ambitions of a world leading food and farming
:20:36. > :20:39.industry and an environment that is better than the one we inherited. To
:20:40. > :20:46.give her one example of a manifesto commitment that Labour did not have
:20:47. > :20:50.in their manifesto, we will push for high animal welfare standards to be
:20:51. > :20:54.incorporated into a international trade agreements. The party opposite
:20:55. > :21:06.did not have that in their manifesto. The events of the last,
:21:07. > :21:13.sorry, number five, Mr Speaker. This government is investing ?2.5 billion
:21:14. > :21:18.delivering at least 1500 new flood schemes by 2021. He should be aware
:21:19. > :21:21.that in his constituency, government investment of ?121 million is being
:21:22. > :21:27.made delivering 18 schemes, better protecting over 30,000 homes. I was
:21:28. > :21:34.overwrought with the excitement of your birthday that I forgot
:21:35. > :21:38.parliamentary procedure! The Minister will know from the events
:21:39. > :21:41.of last week that my constituency is under great threat of flooding and
:21:42. > :21:44.she will join with the Prime Minister and myself are praising the
:21:45. > :21:47.response of the emergency services under the tidal surge. Does she
:21:48. > :21:55.agree that the Boston barrier therefore cannot come soon enough,
:21:56. > :21:58.but also it offers a huge economic opportunity that will allow Boston
:21:59. > :22:08.not only to be protected from flooding but also to seize a new
:22:09. > :22:21.tourism don that could be better off than a lock. -- dawn. The Boston
:22:22. > :22:24.barrier is subject to an enquiry. And it could be a compelling reason
:22:25. > :22:28.to visit that part of rural England. I want to extend my thanks to the
:22:29. > :22:31.Environment Agency, councils and emergency services and volunteers
:22:32. > :22:37.who helped make sure people were safe last week. Happy birthday, Sir.
:22:38. > :22:43.Many small businesses across the UK that operate in flood risk areas are
:22:44. > :22:46.having to face huge, and enormous flood insurance excesses. Will the
:22:47. > :22:52.ministers in this department please commit to persuading the Treasury to
:22:53. > :22:56.extend assurances to businesses. If extend assurances to businesses. If
:22:57. > :23:01.it floods again, many high streets in my constituency might disappear.
:23:02. > :23:06.He will be aware that flood defences are a matter for his government. Can
:23:07. > :23:10.I also say that he raised this point in the debate, and if he had waited
:23:11. > :23:21.for my reply, he would have heard my response on that matter. Question
:23:22. > :23:25.seven. Mr Speaker, we all love trees, and I can see that woodland
:23:26. > :23:30.planting in England is supported through the countryside stewardship
:23:31. > :23:36.grant, and to encourage tree-planting we have extended the
:23:37. > :23:39.woodland creation can't. We are committed to planting a million
:23:40. > :23:43.trees for schools in partnership with the Woodland Trust and other
:23:44. > :23:55.community trusts. The residents of Southend West, would my honourable
:23:56. > :23:59.friend join with me in congratulating... Would she agree
:24:00. > :24:03.that planting a tree in memory of a deceased person is a fitting tribute
:24:04. > :24:09.and makes an excellent contribution to the overall quality of the
:24:10. > :24:13.environment? I commend Southend Borough Council for this
:24:14. > :24:16.tree-planting scheme, and I want to personally acknowledge the recent
:24:17. > :24:22.bereavement of his mother. I do agree with his tribute -- this
:24:23. > :24:27.tribute as trees can give a long-standing remainder of the
:24:28. > :24:35.departed and give a place for bereaved people to visit. I know
:24:36. > :24:39.that from personal experience. Being aware of the incentives the
:24:40. > :24:42.Department of agriculture have in relation to tree-planting, can she
:24:43. > :24:47.indicate what long-term incentives they are for farmers to plant trees
:24:48. > :24:51.for the long term but also the participation of community groups
:24:52. > :24:58.and schools in the process? As I have outlined, the countryside
:24:59. > :25:02.scheme is they are, and acts as an incentive for tree-planting. I am
:25:03. > :25:04.glad he is leading by example but he will understand the encouragement in
:25:05. > :25:10.Northern Ireland is led by his own government. Yes, we can learn all
:25:11. > :25:17.about tree-planting in Taunton Deane. Plant a birthday treat, that
:25:18. > :25:23.would be a good idea! Would she agree that planting trees is a very
:25:24. > :25:26.important part of keeping the environment as a whole in balance
:25:27. > :25:28.and which he also agree that the environment should be made a
:25:29. > :25:32.cornerstone of our post-Brexit agenda with enormous opportunities
:25:33. > :25:37.to sell technology worldwide and show that we are world leaders, but
:25:38. > :25:42.also bring it into everything to do with economy and social lanes so we
:25:43. > :25:45.increase productivity, security, benefit everyone and leave the
:25:46. > :25:50.environment in a better place than we inherited it. My honourable
:25:51. > :25:57.friend is right to point out the importance of trees, which can have
:25:58. > :26:02.multiple benefits. Earlier this year I visited a primary school in
:26:03. > :26:05.Liverpool to support them in their tree-planting exercise is, but I can
:26:06. > :27:04.assure her tree-planting is at the heart of this government today.
:27:05. > :27:08.Will the Secretary of State today reassured this House and people
:27:09. > :27:13.across the United Kingdom that any trade deal with the US will not
:27:14. > :27:18.involve such compromises which would jeopardise food safety, animal
:27:19. > :27:24.welfare laws, and will she reassure us that she understands a very quick
:27:25. > :27:30.deal is not necessarily the same as a very good deal for the consumer or
:27:31. > :27:33.producer? The Secretary of State made clearly earlier that the party
:27:34. > :27:38.on the side is the only party that made a commitment to reflect animal
:27:39. > :27:41.welfare standards in trade negotiations, which remains a
:27:42. > :27:47.commitment to. There are opportunities for the agricultural
:27:48. > :27:54.sector in the US, particularly such as dairy and Lamb sectors. We will
:27:55. > :27:59.obviously lead on these ones we leave the European Union, but there
:28:00. > :28:03.will be potential opportunities for the UK industry as well. On his
:28:04. > :28:06.visit to a farm on Monday, which I visited last week, the Foreign
:28:07. > :28:13.Minister will have heard many Brexit concerns, one of which was the
:28:14. > :28:15.ending of free movements. The Secretary of State hinted that
:28:16. > :28:37.relaxation for the agri- sector, and can hear sure is that taking on
:28:38. > :28:40.this will not be a bureaucratic nightmare? I had a good meeting with
:28:41. > :28:42.the NFU Scotland this week, where we discussed many in Word map issues.
:28:43. > :28:54.We will work very closely with all of the devolved administrations and
:28:55. > :29:02.the industry throughout the UK, and when it...
:29:03. > :29:07.When he made the assessment of the impact on farming of leaving the EU,
:29:08. > :29:17.can he assure me he will listen to the farmers, and not the so-called
:29:18. > :29:24.experts, who seem to be set on pushing their own agenda? I can
:29:25. > :29:28.reassure him that having grown up on a farm and worked in the farming
:29:29. > :29:31.industry for ten years, I would be very much is listening to farmers
:29:32. > :29:35.and their views and wanting to learn from the experience, and we will be
:29:36. > :29:43.listening to everyone as we develop future policy. He will be aware that
:29:44. > :29:49.a great many farms and rural businesses rely on EU work as part
:29:50. > :30:02.of their legal requirements throughout the year. Will keep
:30:03. > :30:11.didn't mind... -- will he keep in mind these issues when discussing
:30:12. > :30:18.immigration. We are in discussion with a number of leading players to
:30:19. > :30:20.get an understanding of all the needs, and we are in discussion with
:30:21. > :30:26.departmental colleagues in other departments. On Tuesday the
:30:27. > :30:30.Secretary of State mentioned a Green paper for the environment and rural
:30:31. > :30:36.economy long-term is coming. We have been promised no powers will be
:30:37. > :30:40.repatriated to the EU, -- to Westminster, said that she agree
:30:41. > :30:46.that the framework should be the work of the Scottish Government? We
:30:47. > :30:52.will discuss this with all devolved administrations. The Prime Minister
:30:53. > :30:55.made that clear earlier this week. We will discuss this across the UK
:30:56. > :31:09.and agree what the right UK approach should be. Live long and prosper. We
:31:10. > :31:14.established the capital committee in this Parliament, we will also
:31:15. > :31:17.publish our 25 year planning in due course and we want everyone to
:31:18. > :31:22.understand how a healthy environment improves their life and spending
:31:23. > :31:29.time and in the environment will improve health. I have been running
:31:30. > :31:33.a campaign to save the hedgehog. She may also know that on the 2nd of
:31:34. > :31:37.February, that marks National hedgehog Dave. What can she do to
:31:38. > :31:42.ensure young people are involved in the campaign to save wildlife,
:31:43. > :31:48.including the hedgehog, in the run-up to the 2nd of February? I
:31:49. > :31:52.commend my honourable friend for his continuing support of the hedgehog.
:31:53. > :31:54.The government supports efforts to make gardens hedgehog friendly
:31:55. > :31:57.through the creation of havens, and through the creation of havens, and
:31:58. > :32:04.campaigns with local communities to look out for the hedgehog, including
:32:05. > :32:08.that of BBC Suffolk. I would encourage him to get BBC Cornwall to
:32:09. > :32:16.do the same. We want to encourage the next-generation. Many happy
:32:17. > :32:20.returns. Hedgehogs and other wild mammals and precious bird species
:32:21. > :32:24.are currently protected under regulations on the European Union.
:32:25. > :32:32.The Environmental Audit Committee's report on the effects of the natural
:32:33. > :32:38.environment of leaving... Has she had a chance to read it? I read it
:32:39. > :32:44.cover to cover the day it came out, as is appropriate. I can say that
:32:45. > :32:47.our intention is to bring environmental legislation into law
:32:48. > :32:51.the day that we leave the European Union, and as a consequence we see
:32:52. > :32:59.no need for future legislation at this point. Topical questions. I
:33:00. > :33:03.would like to place on record my sincere thanks for the commitment
:33:04. > :33:07.and hard work of the military Environment Agency staff, local
:33:08. > :33:14.councils, volunteers and the emergency services during last
:33:15. > :33:17.week's tidal surge. More than half a million homes and businesses were
:33:18. > :33:21.protected from flooding along the east coast as a result of their
:33:22. > :33:28.efforts. I am sure the whole House would like to join me in expressing
:33:29. > :33:33.our gratitude. The Consumer Price Index is at the highest it has been
:33:34. > :33:37.for over 2.5 years, largely driven by rising food prices. Since the
:33:38. > :33:43.government stubbornly refused to measure and act on levels of food
:33:44. > :33:50.poverty, what will she do for the millions of people who cannot afford
:33:51. > :33:56.to eat? I can say that food prices as steady and have been reducing,
:33:57. > :33:59.and there is a very recent small uptick, but generally food inflation
:34:00. > :34:04.has been low, and as my honourable friend explained earlier, we do
:34:05. > :34:11.monitor the levels of expenditure on food closely. Can I endorse what the
:34:12. > :34:14.Secretary of State has said about the superb work done by the
:34:15. > :34:18.emergency services and other voluntary groups along the east
:34:19. > :34:21.coast. What is she and her department doing to support
:34:22. > :34:28.community interest companies which can harvest company and private
:34:29. > :34:34.sector funds for the environmental services? As a government we
:34:35. > :34:41.continue to invest in flood defences around the coast. I want to
:34:42. > :34:45.reiterate the thanks we have two hour emergency services and the
:34:46. > :34:49.military, who helped a black risk last year. We continue to invest so
:34:50. > :34:57.that fewer homes and businesses will be at risk in the future. The study
:34:58. > :35:13.by the statistics unit investigating potential links with waste
:35:14. > :35:19.incinerators and health outcomes, the date of when it will be
:35:20. > :35:24.published keeps changing. I will look straight into this and get back
:35:25. > :35:29.to him. Which he agreed to visit the slowing the flow project, and
:35:30. > :35:42.natural flood alleviation scheme, part funded by DEFRA, to save the
:35:43. > :35:50.taxpayer millions of pounds, to see what could be done with a ?15
:35:51. > :35:55.million the apartment has a bid invested for such projects. I would
:35:56. > :35:58.be delighted to visit, if we can get our diaries to work. I would like to
:35:59. > :36:03.see the success of the Pickering project, which has been one of the
:36:04. > :36:07.building blocks in securing the ?15 million of funding we announced in
:36:08. > :36:10.November last year, which is dedicated specifically to natural
:36:11. > :36:15.flood management schemes across the UK. This money will let us test new
:36:16. > :36:21.approaches to see how natural flood resources can help us in the future.
:36:22. > :36:26.We do not have time to waste. Since their Westminster Hall debate last
:36:27. > :36:30.December, 4007 elephants have been killed for tasks. With China
:36:31. > :36:33.introducing a ban on the ivory trade by the end of this year, will the
:36:34. > :36:38.government reconsidered its proposed unworkable partial ban which will
:36:39. > :37:05.still allow criminals to trade in ivory, and
:37:06. > :37:12.introduce a total ban? That is nonsense, it is not a partial ban
:37:13. > :37:14.this government is proposing. In the conference in China last year, we
:37:15. > :37:24.were very clear we would do everything possible not just to
:37:25. > :37:28.enforce a ban on trading of ivory, but also on enforcement, on
:37:29. > :37:31.minimising exemptions. She needs to work with us to ensure the
:37:32. > :37:35.protection of the species and not try to make a party political point
:37:36. > :37:40.on it. The Vale of Evesham is proud of its horticultural industry. Many
:37:41. > :37:50.of the local growers and food produce companies are highly reliant
:37:51. > :37:55.on seasonal workers. Can we please seriously consider bringing back a
:37:56. > :38:05.seasonal agricultural workers scheme? I have experience in this
:38:06. > :38:13.industry, I know many growers in Evesham, and have had discussions
:38:14. > :38:18.with businesses on this issue. We want to get the right approach so we
:38:19. > :38:24.can control immigration and ensure we have the working leads were
:38:25. > :38:28.required. The farming Minister will have been amended on Monday that 90%
:38:29. > :38:33.of beef and lamb exports from this country are to the EU, so the Prime
:38:34. > :38:37.Minister's threat to walk away from the single market with no deal, but
:38:38. > :38:43.then would not be bad, it could leave them facing tariffs up to 20%,
:38:44. > :38:46.which would be catastrophic. What assurances can he give to farmers
:38:47. > :38:52.and crofters in my constituency that he and his government will not leave
:38:53. > :38:55.them exposed in this way? I think the Prime Minister gave the
:38:56. > :39:01.assurance we are looking for a good deal, and no deal is better than a
:39:02. > :39:07.bad deal. In food and drink alone we have a trade deficit of ?10 billion
:39:08. > :39:12.with the EU, so they have a great interest to having tariff free
:39:13. > :39:17.access to the market. Following the success for the charge of plastic
:39:18. > :39:23.bags, and reducing the number of plastic going into the sea, the next
:39:24. > :39:26.big issue we need to address is single use plastic bottles. Can she
:39:27. > :39:31.address the House and what plans she address the House and what plans she
:39:32. > :39:37.has to cut the number of templating beaches? He is right to point out
:39:38. > :39:40.consultation is out there on micro beads, but there is call for wider
:39:41. > :39:45.evidence about the need to tackle other plastics. We are developing a
:39:46. > :39:58.new letter strategy which may reduce this. -- litter strategy. An
:39:59. > :40:04.enormous amount of subsidies used to encourage intensive farming. Could
:40:05. > :40:12.ministers also look at some of the ideas for re-wilding, and see that
:40:13. > :40:18.our subsidies could encourage the restoration of the environment,
:40:19. > :40:22.rather than its conservation? We will look at representations from
:40:23. > :40:27.all people. I would say this, if we want to improve the farmed
:40:28. > :40:30.environment we have to look at the whole farmed environment and not
:40:31. > :40:38.restrict our ambition is to just the upper limbs or the moorland areas.
:40:39. > :40:44.So we're looking at a whole range of things, in quitting water quality.
:40:45. > :40:48.-- uplands. Could we look at single payments that have been made and how
:40:49. > :40:53.it affects the Cornish farms? We have now paid 92.8% of basic payment
:40:54. > :40:59.scheme claims for the current year, and as a fellow Cornish man, I am
:41:00. > :41:08.pleased to say that 97% of claims and Cornwall have now been paid. My
:41:09. > :41:11.constituents will be concerned that there interest should not be
:41:12. > :41:15.compromised in any free trade deal with New Zealand. Will the Secretary
:41:16. > :41:22.of State guarantee that she will fight for farmers in any free-trade
:41:23. > :41:35.deal and ensure that they are not cheap imports of New Zealand lamb?
:41:36. > :41:39.Will she fight for farmers? As a free and sovereign parliament, it
:41:40. > :41:44.will be for us to determine the terms of any free trade agreements.
:41:45. > :41:49.I have already read out from our manifesto commitment on the highest
:41:50. > :41:55.level of animal welfare, and it also commits to food safety and food
:41:56. > :41:58.traceability. It commits to being a leading country in farm management
:41:59. > :42:05.and to promote that around the world. There is a continuing problem
:42:06. > :42:09.of fly shooting and electronic pulse fishing in UK waters. Not only are
:42:10. > :42:12.these practices environmental vandalism, they are having a
:42:13. > :42:18.devastating impact on local fishing communities. Can the Minister is
:42:19. > :42:21.sure the Cosies doing anything to address this problem? I'm aware of
:42:22. > :42:27.the concern, particularly around pulse trolling in the southern North
:42:28. > :42:31.Sea. I have asked the Department to look at this and give me a report on
:42:32. > :42:36.what we know about the science. In addition, that is a working group in
:42:37. > :42:47.the EU on this issue. Happy birthday. At the time of
:42:48. > :42:55.negotiations on the TTIP deal, concerns were raised about products
:42:56. > :42:58.that consumers don't want on the shelves. Now within a weaker
:42:59. > :43:06.negotiating position, how can the Minister assurance we won't allow
:43:07. > :43:08.those products on? The USA represents USA interests in
:43:09. > :43:14.negotiations and the UK Government will represent the UK in any future
:43:15. > :43:18.trade negotiations. Issues such as animal welfare and food safety are
:43:19. > :43:19.areas in which we will