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In an hour, the forthcoming business will be announced and questions | :00:22. | :00:25. | |
taken. After that, there are two debates to be put forward by | :00:26. | :00:29. | |
backbench MPs. Join me tonight, but first we have questions can I also | :00:30. | :00:36. | |
add from this side of the House congratulations. It includes | :00:37. | :00:49. | |
questions on the household cost and spending on food, including the | :00:50. | :00:52. | |
lowest 20% of households. This figure has remained reasonably | :00:53. | :01:00. | |
stable at around 16% for many years. Thank you, Mr Speaker, I thank the | :01:01. | :01:05. | |
Minister but he knows as well as I do that that is not good enough. We | :01:06. | :01:09. | |
have an estimated 8.4 million people living in food insecure households. | :01:10. | :01:21. | |
There have been calls from so many organisations for the Government to | :01:22. | :01:24. | |
adopt a household food and security measurement. Why will the Government | :01:25. | :01:31. | |
not admit that the resistance to admitting this is that once they | :01:32. | :01:35. | |
admit the scale of hunger, they would have to do recognise that it | :01:36. | :01:40. | |
is largely caused by their own punitive welfare policies. I | :01:41. | :01:44. | |
fundamentally disagree with the honourable lady. This Government | :01:45. | :01:48. | |
have got more people back into work than ever before and the best way to | :01:49. | :01:52. | |
tackle poverty is to help people get off of benefits and into work. I | :01:53. | :01:55. | |
would say to the honourable lady that we have through the LC Access | :01:56. | :02:00. | |
and established measure of how much the lowest income household spending | :02:01. | :02:07. | |
on food, a consistent measure, and we can benchmark changes here and | :02:08. | :02:12. | |
here. That has been very stable. It was 16% when the party opposite were | :02:13. | :02:20. | |
in power and it is 16% now. Food insecurity is a terrible thing and | :02:21. | :02:26. | |
this is exacerbated by low income households spending money on food | :02:27. | :02:28. | |
that is not good for them. During the war, war time households knew | :02:29. | :02:35. | |
how to budget and nutrition improved. Could we learned some | :02:36. | :02:38. | |
lessons from the wartime generation about how best to feed people? My | :02:39. | :02:46. | |
colleagues in the Department for help publish lots of very good | :02:47. | :02:49. | |
guidance and run lots of very good campaigns to encourage healthy | :02:50. | :02:53. | |
eating. In addition, we have the School food programme which is | :02:54. | :02:57. | |
aiming to improve the nutrition of food in schools so that children | :02:58. | :03:01. | |
learn lifelong good habits. I agree with the honourable gentleman that | :03:02. | :03:05. | |
actually it is possible to eat very good nutritious food and the cost | :03:06. | :03:08. | |
and price of it has been remarkably stable. And visits to my local food | :03:09. | :03:14. | |
banks, what I hear is that the number of people relying on them is | :03:15. | :03:18. | |
going up. Isn't it true that the Government doesn't want to collect | :03:19. | :03:21. | |
this type of data because they would have to admit the failure of their | :03:22. | :03:26. | |
policies, not least the fact that getting into a job is no longer | :03:27. | :03:31. | |
route out of policy because of -- out of poverty, because of in work | :03:32. | :03:40. | |
poverty. This is the Government that introduced a national living wage, | :03:41. | :03:48. | |
raising standards. I have visited my local food bank and I have sent | :03:49. | :03:52. | |
people to visit people having complex issues in their lives. There | :03:53. | :03:56. | |
are many issues that relate to poverty and I would ask all members | :03:57. | :04:00. | |
to work closely with their local food banks as my office does. With | :04:01. | :04:09. | |
permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to group questions two and six. The | :04:10. | :04:13. | |
United Kingdom complies with legislation for nearly all air | :04:14. | :04:17. | |
pollutants but faces challenges in achieving nitrogen dioxide limits | :04:18. | :04:22. | |
including 16 other European union states. We have committed ?290 | :04:23. | :04:33. | |
million in the Autumn Statement to support green transport. We should | :04:34. | :04:37. | |
all recognise that air quality is improving but we recognise we must | :04:38. | :04:40. | |
go further and faster and we will support a new programme in April. I | :04:41. | :04:48. | |
thanked her for her answer but I think she is aware of the rail | :04:49. | :04:51. | |
scheme which would take 5 million lorries off of the roads each year, | :04:52. | :05:04. | |
lowering emissions. With Felixstowe in my constituency, I am fully aware | :05:05. | :05:09. | |
of the advantages of rail freight. I would stress to the honourable | :05:10. | :05:15. | |
gentleman that the departments of Defra works closely with others and | :05:16. | :05:21. | |
shifting freight onto rail is a key part of any future strategy. You are | :05:22. | :05:28. | |
aware of the controversial cruise liner terminal at and wharf in | :05:29. | :05:32. | |
Greenwich. With the impact of that in mind, can she tell us when the | :05:33. | :05:38. | |
Government expects to publish a review into shorter shift power? The | :05:39. | :05:43. | |
honourable gentleman will be aware that an environmental impact | :05:44. | :05:48. | |
assessment was considered when looking at that planning application | :05:49. | :05:55. | |
but, as he will be aware also, the Minister for transport is committed | :05:56. | :05:57. | |
to looking further at what can be done and I'm sure he's making | :05:58. | :06:02. | |
progress on that. Does the Minister agree that British businesses have | :06:03. | :06:07. | |
made great strides in recent years in producing technologies which | :06:08. | :06:10. | |
enable us to improve air quality, such as the taxis that now run in | :06:11. | :06:15. | |
Birmingham on LPG and the adaptation of buses that have significantly | :06:16. | :06:19. | |
cleaned up the air on Oxford Street? I agree with my right honourable | :06:20. | :06:23. | |
friend and her vast experience in this area is added to by her local | :06:24. | :06:27. | |
knowledge of the city of Birmingham and support going on there. I can | :06:28. | :06:33. | |
say that this Government made substantial chasuble settlement with | :06:34. | :06:40. | |
the previous mayor and I do know that air pollution has continued on | :06:41. | :06:43. | |
Oxford Street in the last year, so -- specifically with the grants that | :06:44. | :06:52. | |
were provided. Areas of corn will suffer with high pollution because | :06:53. | :06:57. | |
of the 839 running through the high street. And my honourable friend | :06:58. | :07:01. | |
congratulate the town council for the work they have done to improve | :07:02. | :07:08. | |
their air pollution. I have made it clear before that national | :07:09. | :07:10. | |
Government and local Government both have a role to play in tackling such | :07:11. | :07:16. | |
things and we will continue to work with my right honourable friend on | :07:17. | :07:22. | |
this matter. The College of physicians have stated that air | :07:23. | :07:26. | |
pollution contributes to approximately 40,000 deaths in the | :07:27. | :07:29. | |
UK every year and that these emissions have been poorly | :07:30. | :07:33. | |
regulated. What progress is the Government making in that field? Mr | :07:34. | :07:43. | |
Speaker, we have seen this nitrous oxide levels falling. I recognise | :07:44. | :07:47. | |
not quickly enough. The Labour Government signed us up to achieve | :07:48. | :07:51. | |
this by 2010 and failed spectacularly. We will continue to | :07:52. | :07:57. | |
strive for this. Does my honourable friend agree that one of the ways to | :07:58. | :08:01. | |
make real progress on air quality is to forge ahead with ultralow | :08:02. | :08:05. | |
emission vehicles and given that Norway now has 25% of the cars on | :08:06. | :08:10. | |
its road either electric or hybrid, does she agree that we need a real | :08:11. | :08:13. | |
turbo-charge bees to get ahead in this area? My honourable friend is | :08:14. | :08:19. | |
absolutely right. The low emission vehicle industry is a competitive | :08:20. | :08:23. | |
advantage for this country and that is why the Government is backing | :08:24. | :08:27. | |
them through the office of load -- low emission vehicles and also the | :08:28. | :08:31. | |
many millions of pounds that have been spent on improving the charging | :08:32. | :08:34. | |
infrastructure up and down this country. Many happy returns, Mr | :08:35. | :08:42. | |
Speaker, to both you and reverend rose. Mr Speaker, the Government has | :08:43. | :08:47. | |
lost the confidence of this House on air quality. Over 50,000 people are | :08:48. | :08:53. | |
dying prematurely each year because of air pollution and many more are | :08:54. | :08:55. | |
suffering associated health conditions. With no guarantee from | :08:56. | :09:02. | |
either the Prime Minister or the Secretary of State that last | :09:03. | :09:06. | |
December's strict EU laws will be introduced post-Brexit, how can the | :09:07. | :09:11. | |
country trust a Government -- the Government to ensure cleaner air in | :09:12. | :09:15. | |
future? The honourable lady refers to a lack of trust in this | :09:16. | :09:19. | |
Government. I think that is somewhat pot calling kettle black. It is the | :09:20. | :09:24. | |
Labour Government that introduced fiscal incentives for people to | :09:25. | :09:28. | |
switch to diesel cars, the Labour Government who signed up to these | :09:29. | :09:31. | |
guidelines. Air quality is better than it was under a Labour | :09:32. | :09:35. | |
Government. That is an incontrovertible fact. Or even | :09:36. | :09:49. | |
incontrovertible fact. Happy birthday, Mr Speaker. Hill farmers | :09:50. | :09:53. | |
play a critical role not just in producing high-quality food but also | :09:54. | :09:57. | |
delivering environmental benefits for all of the public in our | :09:58. | :10:00. | |
beautiful landscapes. Leaving the EU gives us a great opportunity to look | :10:01. | :10:07. | |
again at their contribution to developing and delivering our twin | :10:08. | :10:12. | |
ambitions, to have a world leading food and farming industry and at the | :10:13. | :10:17. | |
same time a better environment for future generations. I am grateful | :10:18. | :10:20. | |
for that response from the Secretary of State. Of course, paying for | :10:21. | :10:24. | |
environmental goods will only work as a strategy if the hill farms are | :10:25. | :10:28. | |
financially viable and she knows some of them are earning ?14,000 a | :10:29. | :10:34. | |
year, so income support mechanisms will still be necessary. And she | :10:35. | :10:40. | |
guarantee that in future trade negotiations, she will not allow a | :10:41. | :10:43. | |
flood of cheap New Zealand lamb which will put them out of business? | :10:44. | :10:49. | |
Well, the honourable lady will be aware that we have undertaken from | :10:50. | :10:55. | |
the very first days in the job to commit to the levels of current | :10:56. | :11:01. | |
support for all Pirlo payments until 2020 to give that continuity to | :11:02. | :11:05. | |
farmers and businesses. We have committed to our consultation on the | :11:06. | :11:12. | |
future of the food and farming sector in the 25 year plan and that | :11:13. | :11:16. | |
will be looking very closely at the level of support that is needed but | :11:17. | :11:19. | |
I absolutely agree with her. We will need to look at what we can do for | :11:20. | :11:24. | |
the future to ensure that hill farmers remove viable and | :11:25. | :11:25. | |
sustainable. The Secretary of State is right, | :11:26. | :11:36. | |
there is a real opportunity to create a system of rule support that | :11:37. | :11:42. | |
is the spoke for the United Kingdom that is environmental, economic and | :11:43. | :11:47. | |
social policy. In that respect, giving ministers the opportunity of | :11:48. | :11:49. | |
moving money up the hill to protect those who are clinging on economic | :11:50. | :11:52. | |
Lee is an opportunity I hope she will grasp. Well, my honourable | :11:53. | :11:58. | |
friend is knowledgeable in this area, and his input will be | :11:59. | :12:04. | |
extremely useful when it comes to our consultation, but he is right to | :12:05. | :12:09. | |
say this is a unique opportunity for us to create a policy that works for | :12:10. | :12:16. | |
us, not for 28 EU member states, and that is exactly what we will be | :12:17. | :12:19. | |
consulting on and what we will be delivering. Happy birthday from me. | :12:20. | :12:27. | |
I wondered if the Secretary of State under chief executive of the rural | :12:28. | :12:30. | |
payments agency would tolerate waiting 13.5 months for their salary | :12:31. | :12:36. | |
cheque to arrive. And that is what 50 hill farmers have had to do | :12:37. | :12:40. | |
waiting for the December 2015 farm payment. And hundreds more are | :12:41. | :12:45. | |
weighted up to one year to get the payments also. In the 2016-17 year, | :12:46. | :12:53. | |
they have been told they will be at the back of the queue to receive | :12:54. | :12:55. | |
payments for their farm again. Will she commit to make sure those 50 are | :12:56. | :13:00. | |
paid immediately and also will she commit that those hill farmers at | :13:01. | :13:04. | |
the back of the queue last year will be at the front of the queue this | :13:05. | :13:10. | |
year? I am afraid he is just not appraised of the facts. The facts | :13:11. | :13:21. | |
are there are very few... The honourable lady shouts from the | :13:22. | :13:26. | |
bench 2000. People have received a payment and there are some | :13:27. | :13:29. | |
challenges to those payments that are still awaiting settlement. And I | :13:30. | :13:34. | |
would like to say to the honourable gentleman that the RPA under Mark | :13:35. | :13:39. | |
Grimshaw has strived to settle all outstanding claims, but there are | :13:40. | :13:45. | |
people who are challenging those, understandably, but everybody has | :13:46. | :13:48. | |
received a payment apart from a very small number, where there are issues | :13:49. | :13:55. | |
like probate concerns, legal challenges and inspection | :13:56. | :13:58. | |
challenges. In terms of this year, Commons have been paid across the | :13:59. | :14:03. | |
board and are about 92.8% of payments, which is a good | :14:04. | :14:08. | |
achievement compared to last year. Thank you. Happy birthday from these | :14:09. | :14:17. | |
benches also. Given that lamb as a product is now facing large tariffs, | :14:18. | :14:22. | |
foreign payments become more important than ever. Long-term it is | :14:23. | :14:28. | |
not just three years to 2020, the farming minister said we would get | :14:29. | :14:30. | |
at least the same amount if not more. Yesterday I challenge the | :14:31. | :14:35. | |
Secretary of State for Scotland, who said there is no suggestion that | :14:36. | :14:39. | |
funding to Scottish agriculture will be cut after 2020. Can she offer the | :14:40. | :14:45. | |
same assurance, payments will not go down after 2020? The assurance I can | :14:46. | :14:50. | |
give to the honourable gentleman is we will be looking at how to achieve | :14:51. | :14:55. | |
our twin ambitions of a world leading food and farming sector | :14:56. | :14:58. | |
while ensuring we leave the environment in a better state than | :14:59. | :15:02. | |
we are left it. We will look at the facts and then decide what level of | :15:03. | :15:07. | |
funding is required in order to support those ambitions. We wish you | :15:08. | :15:13. | |
a long life, Mr Speaker! LAUGHTER | :15:14. | :15:19. | |
One of the great opportunities for farmers as we leave the EU as we | :15:20. | :15:24. | |
scrap some of the bureaucratic rules that have limited the ability to | :15:25. | :15:32. | |
maximise productivity and profitability. | :15:33. | :15:34. | |
For example rules that dictate the number of crops they can grow. I | :15:35. | :15:44. | |
thank her for her answer. As we free ourselves from the straitjacket of | :15:45. | :15:48. | |
the common agricultural policy, that has added so many bureaucratic | :15:49. | :15:51. | |
burdens to farmers, what assessment has she made of the financial burden | :15:52. | :15:59. | |
that our farmers are facing as a result of the common agricultural | :16:00. | :16:02. | |
policy, and what extra freedom will this mean for farmers in the future? | :16:03. | :16:09. | |
He is absolutely right to draw attention to this issue. It is | :16:10. | :16:13. | |
something we are determined to address as we develop new policies. | :16:14. | :16:17. | |
Unnecessary rules cost farmers millions of pounds, and up to | :16:18. | :16:23. | |
300,000 man hours each year, which says nothing of the lost | :16:24. | :16:28. | |
opportunities. So I will be paying close attention in the coming months | :16:29. | :16:32. | |
to find a solution that work for us, rather than 28 EU member states. I | :16:33. | :16:40. | |
do not want to be nasty to anyone, especially on your birthday, but the | :16:41. | :16:44. | |
fact is that this front bench it is sleepwalking into Brexit. We have | :16:45. | :16:52. | |
heard so much from the Secretary of State before the Brexit vote, now we | :16:53. | :16:57. | |
hear nothing. Our farmers, are people in the countryside know | :16:58. | :17:01. | |
nothing about what is going to happen. They fear a new agricultural | :17:02. | :17:04. | |
devastation in the countryside. What is she going to do about it? If that | :17:05. | :17:10. | |
is his definition of not being nasty to anyone, that does not really work | :17:11. | :17:15. | |
well! I am not sure Labour has much support in the countryside because | :17:16. | :17:19. | |
they have done nothing for countryfolk. It is this side of the | :17:20. | :17:26. | |
House that has ensured we continue with support until 2020, and all | :17:27. | :17:31. | |
agri- environment schemes for their lifetime before we signed up to the | :17:32. | :17:37. | |
EU, to ensure we have that business confidence. We are committed to a | :17:38. | :17:41. | |
world leading food and farming industry while at the same time | :17:42. | :17:44. | |
having an environment that is better than we inherited. Bizarre | :17:45. | :17:51. | |
promotions and -- these are our ambitions and we will achieve them. | :17:52. | :17:59. | |
Knowing what sort of Minister my right honourable friend is, I cannot | :18:00. | :18:03. | |
really believe her team were fully briefed properly when they saw the | :18:04. | :18:09. | |
nitro vulnerable zone regulation rolled out. I would be happy to meet | :18:10. | :18:15. | |
and discuss this issue separately but I can assure him we looked very | :18:16. | :18:20. | |
carefully at this issue. And as ever, there is a balance between | :18:21. | :18:26. | |
successful, sustainable farming, food productivity and what is right | :18:27. | :18:35. | |
for over environment. Happy birthday, Mr Speaker. Earlier this | :18:36. | :18:37. | |
month the Secretary of State told the Oxford farming conference how | :18:38. | :18:41. | |
excited she was about, quote, scrapping the rules that hold us | :18:42. | :18:45. | |
back, saying we can all think of at least one EU law that we would not | :18:46. | :18:49. | |
miss. That may be true, but I'm sure each of us can also think of at | :18:50. | :18:53. | |
least one rule that we would miss. That we would want to keep. Can she | :18:54. | :19:01. | |
share her choice with us? I have already shared a few choices, farm | :19:02. | :19:06. | |
inspections, some of the rules around billboards and so on, but | :19:07. | :19:11. | |
what I would like to say, and I know she cares a great deal about this | :19:12. | :19:15. | |
matter, is that we will in the great repeal Bill, ring all EU legislation | :19:16. | :19:23. | |
into UK law, so that the Prime Minister -- as the Prime Minister | :19:24. | :19:28. | |
said, the rules will be the same today after we leave the EU. That is | :19:29. | :19:32. | |
important for that continuity. And at that point we will look at and | :19:33. | :19:36. | |
change those rules for the better to suit the needs of the United | :19:37. | :19:47. | |
Kingdom. If only it were that easy. And incredibly vague answer, not a | :19:48. | :19:51. | |
specific EU regulation mentioned. Those of us who value even the -- EU | :19:52. | :19:58. | |
regulation on animal welfare will not find her answer reassuring. I | :19:59. | :20:02. | |
assume that some kind of objective criteria have to be applied so that | :20:03. | :20:13. | |
rules will not just be thrown onto the bonfire. What are those | :20:14. | :20:18. | |
objective criteria? I am sorry if she perhaps didn't hear my previous | :20:19. | :20:22. | |
answer. I made extremely clear that the day after we leave the EU the | :20:23. | :20:27. | |
rules will be the same as the day before. After that we will be | :20:28. | :20:31. | |
seeking to meet our twin ambitions of a world leading food and farming | :20:32. | :20:35. | |
industry and an environment that is better than the one we inherited. To | :20:36. | :20:39. | |
give her one example of a manifesto commitment that Labour did not have | :20:40. | :20:46. | |
in their manifesto, we will push for high animal welfare standards to be | :20:47. | :20:50. | |
incorporated into a international trade agreements. The party opposite | :20:51. | :20:54. | |
did not have that in their manifesto. The events of the last, | :20:55. | :21:06. | |
sorry, number five, Mr Speaker. This government is investing ?2.5 billion | :21:07. | :21:13. | |
delivering at least 1500 new flood schemes by 2021. He should be aware | :21:14. | :21:18. | |
that in his constituency, government investment of ?121 million is being | :21:19. | :21:21. | |
made delivering 18 schemes, better protecting over 30,000 homes. I was | :21:22. | :21:27. | |
overwrought with the excitement of your birthday that I forgot | :21:28. | :21:34. | |
parliamentary procedure! The Minister will know from the events | :21:35. | :21:38. | |
of last week that my constituency is under great threat of flooding and | :21:39. | :21:41. | |
she will join with the Prime Minister and myself are praising the | :21:42. | :21:44. | |
response of the emergency services under the tidal surge. Does she | :21:45. | :21:47. | |
agree that the Boston barrier therefore cannot come soon enough, | :21:48. | :21:55. | |
but also it offers a huge economic opportunity that will allow Boston | :21:56. | :21:58. | |
not only to be protected from flooding but also to seize a new | :21:59. | :22:08. | |
tourism don that could be better off than a lock. -- dawn. The Boston | :22:09. | :22:21. | |
barrier is subject to an enquiry. And it could be a compelling reason | :22:22. | :22:24. | |
to visit that part of rural England. I want to extend my thanks to the | :22:25. | :22:28. | |
Environment Agency, councils and emergency services and volunteers | :22:29. | :22:31. | |
who helped make sure people were safe last week. Happy birthday, Sir. | :22:32. | :22:37. | |
Many small businesses across the UK that operate in flood risk areas are | :22:38. | :22:43. | |
having to face huge, and enormous flood insurance excesses. Will the | :22:44. | :22:46. | |
ministers in this department please commit to persuading the Treasury to | :22:47. | :22:52. | |
extend assurances to businesses. If extend assurances to businesses. If | :22:53. | :22:56. | |
it floods again, many high streets in my constituency might disappear. | :22:57. | :23:01. | |
He will be aware that flood defences are a matter for his government. Can | :23:02. | :23:06. | |
I also say that he raised this point in the debate, and if he had waited | :23:07. | :23:10. | |
for my reply, he would have heard my response on that matter. Question | :23:11. | :23:21. | |
seven. Mr Speaker, we all love trees, and I can see that woodland | :23:22. | :23:25. | |
planting in England is supported through the countryside stewardship | :23:26. | :23:30. | |
grant, and to encourage tree-planting we have extended the | :23:31. | :23:36. | |
woodland creation can't. We are committed to planting a million | :23:37. | :23:39. | |
trees for schools in partnership with the Woodland Trust and other | :23:40. | :23:43. | |
community trusts. The residents of Southend West, would my honourable | :23:44. | :23:55. | |
friend join with me in congratulating... Would she agree | :23:56. | :23:59. | |
that planting a tree in memory of a deceased person is a fitting tribute | :24:00. | :24:03. | |
and makes an excellent contribution to the overall quality of the | :24:04. | :24:09. | |
environment? I commend Southend Borough Council for this | :24:10. | :24:13. | |
tree-planting scheme, and I want to personally acknowledge the recent | :24:14. | :24:16. | |
bereavement of his mother. I do agree with his tribute -- this | :24:17. | :24:22. | |
tribute as trees can give a long-standing remainder of the | :24:23. | :24:27. | |
departed and give a place for bereaved people to visit. I know | :24:28. | :24:35. | |
that from personal experience. Being aware of the incentives the | :24:36. | :24:39. | |
Department of agriculture have in relation to tree-planting, can she | :24:40. | :24:42. | |
indicate what long-term incentives they are for farmers to plant trees | :24:43. | :24:47. | |
for the long term but also the participation of community groups | :24:48. | :24:51. | |
and schools in the process? As I have outlined, the countryside | :24:52. | :24:58. | |
scheme is they are, and acts as an incentive for tree-planting. I am | :24:59. | :25:02. | |
glad he is leading by example but he will understand the encouragement in | :25:03. | :25:04. | |
Northern Ireland is led by his own government. Yes, we can learn all | :25:05. | :25:10. | |
about tree-planting in Taunton Deane. Plant a birthday treat, that | :25:11. | :25:17. | |
would be a good idea! Would she agree that planting trees is a very | :25:18. | :25:23. | |
important part of keeping the environment as a whole in balance | :25:24. | :25:26. | |
and which he also agree that the environment should be made a | :25:27. | :25:28. | |
cornerstone of our post-Brexit agenda with enormous opportunities | :25:29. | :25:32. | |
to sell technology worldwide and show that we are world leaders, but | :25:33. | :25:37. | |
also bring it into everything to do with economy and social lanes so we | :25:38. | :25:42. | |
increase productivity, security, benefit everyone and leave the | :25:43. | :25:45. | |
environment in a better place than we inherited it. My honourable | :25:46. | :25:50. | |
friend is right to point out the importance of trees, which can have | :25:51. | :25:57. | |
multiple benefits. Earlier this year I visited a primary school in | :25:58. | :26:02. | |
Liverpool to support them in their tree-planting exercise is, but I can | :26:03. | :26:05. | |
assure her tree-planting is at the heart of this government today. | :26:06. | :27:04. | |
Will the Secretary of State today reassured this House and people | :27:05. | :27:08. | |
across the United Kingdom that any trade deal with the US will not | :27:09. | :27:13. | |
involve such compromises which would jeopardise food safety, animal | :27:14. | :27:18. | |
welfare laws, and will she reassure us that she understands a very quick | :27:19. | :27:24. | |
deal is not necessarily the same as a very good deal for the consumer or | :27:25. | :27:30. | |
producer? The Secretary of State made clearly earlier that the party | :27:31. | :27:33. | |
on the side is the only party that made a commitment to reflect animal | :27:34. | :27:38. | |
welfare standards in trade negotiations, which remains a | :27:39. | :27:41. | |
commitment to. There are opportunities for the agricultural | :27:42. | :27:47. | |
sector in the US, particularly such as dairy and Lamb sectors. We will | :27:48. | :27:54. | |
obviously lead on these ones we leave the European Union, but there | :27:55. | :27:59. | |
will be potential opportunities for the UK industry as well. On his | :28:00. | :28:03. | |
visit to a farm on Monday, which I visited last week, the Foreign | :28:04. | :28:06. | |
Minister will have heard many Brexit concerns, one of which was the | :28:07. | :28:13. | |
ending of free movements. The Secretary of State hinted that | :28:14. | :28:15. | |
relaxation for the agri- sector, and can hear sure is that taking on | :28:16. | :28:37. | |
this will not be a bureaucratic nightmare? I had a good meeting with | :28:38. | :28:40. | |
the NFU Scotland this week, where we discussed many in Word map issues. | :28:41. | :28:42. | |
We will work very closely with all of the devolved administrations and | :28:43. | :28:54. | |
the industry throughout the UK, and when it... | :28:55. | :29:02. | |
When he made the assessment of the impact on farming of leaving the EU, | :29:03. | :29:07. | |
can he assure me he will listen to the farmers, and not the so-called | :29:08. | :29:17. | |
experts, who seem to be set on pushing their own agenda? I can | :29:18. | :29:24. | |
reassure him that having grown up on a farm and worked in the farming | :29:25. | :29:28. | |
industry for ten years, I would be very much is listening to farmers | :29:29. | :29:31. | |
and their views and wanting to learn from the experience, and we will be | :29:32. | :29:35. | |
listening to everyone as we develop future policy. He will be aware that | :29:36. | :29:43. | |
a great many farms and rural businesses rely on EU work as part | :29:44. | :29:49. | |
of their legal requirements throughout the year. Will keep | :29:50. | :30:02. | |
didn't mind... -- will he keep in mind these issues when discussing | :30:03. | :30:11. | |
immigration. We are in discussion with a number of leading players to | :30:12. | :30:18. | |
get an understanding of all the needs, and we are in discussion with | :30:19. | :30:20. | |
departmental colleagues in other departments. On Tuesday the | :30:21. | :30:26. | |
Secretary of State mentioned a Green paper for the environment and rural | :30:27. | :30:30. | |
economy long-term is coming. We have been promised no powers will be | :30:31. | :30:36. | |
repatriated to the EU, -- to Westminster, said that she agree | :30:37. | :30:40. | |
that the framework should be the work of the Scottish Government? We | :30:41. | :30:46. | |
will discuss this with all devolved administrations. The Prime Minister | :30:47. | :30:52. | |
made that clear earlier this week. We will discuss this across the UK | :30:53. | :30:55. | |
and agree what the right UK approach should be. Live long and prosper. We | :30:56. | :31:09. | |
established the capital committee in this Parliament, we will also | :31:10. | :31:14. | |
publish our 25 year planning in due course and we want everyone to | :31:15. | :31:17. | |
understand how a healthy environment improves their life and spending | :31:18. | :31:22. | |
time and in the environment will improve health. I have been running | :31:23. | :31:29. | |
a campaign to save the hedgehog. She may also know that on the 2nd of | :31:30. | :31:33. | |
February, that marks National hedgehog Dave. What can she do to | :31:34. | :31:37. | |
ensure young people are involved in the campaign to save wildlife, | :31:38. | :31:42. | |
including the hedgehog, in the run-up to the 2nd of February? I | :31:43. | :31:48. | |
commend my honourable friend for his continuing support of the hedgehog. | :31:49. | :31:52. | |
The government supports efforts to make gardens hedgehog friendly | :31:53. | :31:54. | |
through the creation of havens, and through the creation of havens, and | :31:55. | :31:57. | |
campaigns with local communities to look out for the hedgehog, including | :31:58. | :32:04. | |
that of BBC Suffolk. I would encourage him to get BBC Cornwall to | :32:05. | :32:08. | |
do the same. We want to encourage the next-generation. Many happy | :32:09. | :32:16. | |
returns. Hedgehogs and other wild mammals and precious bird species | :32:17. | :32:20. | |
are currently protected under regulations on the European Union. | :32:21. | :32:24. | |
The Environmental Audit Committee's report on the effects of the natural | :32:25. | :32:32. | |
environment of leaving... Has she had a chance to read it? I read it | :32:33. | :32:38. | |
cover to cover the day it came out, as is appropriate. I can say that | :32:39. | :32:44. | |
our intention is to bring environmental legislation into law | :32:45. | :32:47. | |
the day that we leave the European Union, and as a consequence we see | :32:48. | :32:51. | |
no need for future legislation at this point. Topical questions. I | :32:52. | :32:59. | |
would like to place on record my sincere thanks for the commitment | :33:00. | :33:03. | |
and hard work of the military Environment Agency staff, local | :33:04. | :33:07. | |
councils, volunteers and the emergency services during last | :33:08. | :33:14. | |
week's tidal surge. More than half a million homes and businesses were | :33:15. | :33:17. | |
protected from flooding along the east coast as a result of their | :33:18. | :33:21. | |
efforts. I am sure the whole House would like to join me in expressing | :33:22. | :33:28. | |
our gratitude. The Consumer Price Index is at the highest it has been | :33:29. | :33:33. | |
for over 2.5 years, largely driven by rising food prices. Since the | :33:34. | :33:37. | |
government stubbornly refused to measure and act on levels of food | :33:38. | :33:43. | |
poverty, what will she do for the millions of people who cannot afford | :33:44. | :33:50. | |
to eat? I can say that food prices as steady and have been reducing, | :33:51. | :33:56. | |
and there is a very recent small uptick, but generally food inflation | :33:57. | :33:59. | |
has been low, and as my honourable friend explained earlier, we do | :34:00. | :34:04. | |
monitor the levels of expenditure on food closely. Can I endorse what the | :34:05. | :34:11. | |
Secretary of State has said about the superb work done by the | :34:12. | :34:14. | |
emergency services and other voluntary groups along the east | :34:15. | :34:18. | |
coast. What is she and her department doing to support | :34:19. | :34:21. | |
community interest companies which can harvest company and private | :34:22. | :34:28. | |
sector funds for the environmental services? As a government we | :34:29. | :34:34. | |
continue to invest in flood defences around the coast. I want to | :34:35. | :34:41. | |
reiterate the thanks we have two hour emergency services and the | :34:42. | :34:45. | |
military, who helped a black risk last year. We continue to invest so | :34:46. | :34:49. | |
that fewer homes and businesses will be at risk in the future. The study | :34:50. | :34:57. | |
by the statistics unit investigating potential links with waste | :34:58. | :35:13. | |
incinerators and health outcomes, the date of when it will be | :35:14. | :35:19. | |
published keeps changing. I will look straight into this and get back | :35:20. | :35:24. | |
to him. Which he agreed to visit the slowing the flow project, and | :35:25. | :35:29. | |
natural flood alleviation scheme, part funded by DEFRA, to save the | :35:30. | :35:42. | |
taxpayer millions of pounds, to see what could be done with a ?15 | :35:43. | :35:50. | |
million the apartment has a bid invested for such projects. I would | :35:51. | :35:55. | |
be delighted to visit, if we can get our diaries to work. I would like to | :35:56. | :35:58. | |
see the success of the Pickering project, which has been one of the | :35:59. | :36:03. | |
building blocks in securing the ?15 million of funding we announced in | :36:04. | :36:07. | |
November last year, which is dedicated specifically to natural | :36:08. | :36:10. | |
flood management schemes across the UK. This money will let us test new | :36:11. | :36:15. | |
approaches to see how natural flood resources can help us in the future. | :36:16. | :36:21. | |
We do not have time to waste. Since their Westminster Hall debate last | :36:22. | :36:26. | |
December, 4007 elephants have been killed for tasks. With China | :36:27. | :36:30. | |
introducing a ban on the ivory trade by the end of this year, will the | :36:31. | :36:33. | |
government reconsidered its proposed unworkable partial ban which will | :36:34. | :36:38. | |
still allow criminals to trade in ivory, and | :36:39. | :37:05. | |
introduce a total ban? That is nonsense, it is not a partial ban | :37:06. | :37:12. | |
this government is proposing. In the conference in China last year, we | :37:13. | :37:14. | |
were very clear we would do everything possible not just to | :37:15. | :37:24. | |
enforce a ban on trading of ivory, but also on enforcement, on | :37:25. | :37:28. | |
minimising exemptions. She needs to work with us to ensure the | :37:29. | :37:31. | |
protection of the species and not try to make a party political point | :37:32. | :37:35. | |
on it. The Vale of Evesham is proud of its horticultural industry. Many | :37:36. | :37:40. | |
of the local growers and food produce companies are highly reliant | :37:41. | :37:50. | |
on seasonal workers. Can we please seriously consider bringing back a | :37:51. | :37:55. | |
seasonal agricultural workers scheme? I have experience in this | :37:56. | :38:05. | |
industry, I know many growers in Evesham, and have had discussions | :38:06. | :38:13. | |
with businesses on this issue. We want to get the right approach so we | :38:14. | :38:18. | |
can control immigration and ensure we have the working leads were | :38:19. | :38:24. | |
required. The farming Minister will have been amended on Monday that 90% | :38:25. | :38:28. | |
of beef and lamb exports from this country are to the EU, so the Prime | :38:29. | :38:33. | |
Minister's threat to walk away from the single market with no deal, but | :38:34. | :38:37. | |
then would not be bad, it could leave them facing tariffs up to 20%, | :38:38. | :38:43. | |
which would be catastrophic. What assurances can he give to farmers | :38:44. | :38:46. | |
and crofters in my constituency that he and his government will not leave | :38:47. | :38:52. | |
them exposed in this way? I think the Prime Minister gave the | :38:53. | :38:55. | |
assurance we are looking for a good deal, and no deal is better than a | :38:56. | :39:01. | |
bad deal. In food and drink alone we have a trade deficit of ?10 billion | :39:02. | :39:07. | |
with the EU, so they have a great interest to having tariff free | :39:08. | :39:12. | |
access to the market. Following the success for the charge of plastic | :39:13. | :39:17. | |
bags, and reducing the number of plastic going into the sea, the next | :39:18. | :39:23. | |
big issue we need to address is single use plastic bottles. Can she | :39:24. | :39:26. | |
address the House and what plans she address the House and what plans she | :39:27. | :39:31. | |
has to cut the number of templating beaches? He is right to point out | :39:32. | :39:37. | |
consultation is out there on micro beads, but there is call for wider | :39:38. | :39:40. | |
evidence about the need to tackle other plastics. We are developing a | :39:41. | :39:45. | |
new letter strategy which may reduce this. -- litter strategy. An | :39:46. | :39:58. | |
enormous amount of subsidies used to encourage intensive farming. Could | :39:59. | :40:04. | |
ministers also look at some of the ideas for re-wilding, and see that | :40:05. | :40:12. | |
our subsidies could encourage the restoration of the environment, | :40:13. | :40:18. | |
rather than its conservation? We will look at representations from | :40:19. | :40:22. | |
all people. I would say this, if we want to improve the farmed | :40:23. | :40:27. | |
environment we have to look at the whole farmed environment and not | :40:28. | :40:30. | |
restrict our ambition is to just the upper limbs or the moorland areas. | :40:31. | :40:38. | |
So we're looking at a whole range of things, in quitting water quality. | :40:39. | :40:44. | |
-- uplands. Could we look at single payments that have been made and how | :40:45. | :40:48. | |
it affects the Cornish farms? We have now paid 92.8% of basic payment | :40:49. | :40:53. | |
scheme claims for the current year, and as a fellow Cornish man, I am | :40:54. | :40:59. | |
pleased to say that 97% of claims and Cornwall have now been paid. My | :41:00. | :41:08. | |
constituents will be concerned that there interest should not be | :41:09. | :41:11. | |
compromised in any free trade deal with New Zealand. Will the Secretary | :41:12. | :41:15. | |
of State guarantee that she will fight for farmers in any free-trade | :41:16. | :41:22. | |
deal and ensure that they are not cheap imports of New Zealand lamb? | :41:23. | :41:35. | |
Will she fight for farmers? As a free and sovereign parliament, it | :41:36. | :41:39. | |
will be for us to determine the terms of any free trade agreements. | :41:40. | :41:44. | |
I have already read out from our manifesto commitment on the highest | :41:45. | :41:49. | |
level of animal welfare, and it also commits to food safety and food | :41:50. | :41:55. | |
traceability. It commits to being a leading country in farm management | :41:56. | :41:58. | |
and to promote that around the world. There is a continuing problem | :41:59. | :42:05. | |
of fly shooting and electronic pulse fishing in UK waters. Not only are | :42:06. | :42:09. | |
these practices environmental vandalism, they are having a | :42:10. | :42:12. | |
devastating impact on local fishing communities. Can the Minister is | :42:13. | :42:18. | |
sure the Cosies doing anything to address this problem? I'm aware of | :42:19. | :42:21. | |
the concern, particularly around pulse trolling in the southern North | :42:22. | :42:27. | |
Sea. I have asked the Department to look at this and give me a report on | :42:28. | :42:31. | |
what we know about the science. In addition, that is a working group in | :42:32. | :42:36. | |
the EU on this issue. Happy birthday. At the time of | :42:37. | :42:47. | |
negotiations on the TTIP deal, concerns were raised about products | :42:48. | :42:55. | |
that consumers don't want on the shelves. Now within a weaker | :42:56. | :42:58. | |
negotiating position, how can the Minister assurance we won't allow | :42:59. | :43:06. | |
those products on? The USA represents USA interests in | :43:07. | :43:08. | |
negotiations and the UK Government will represent the UK in any future | :43:09. | :43:14. | |
trade negotiations. Issues such as animal welfare and food safety are | :43:15. | :43:18. | |
areas in which we will | :43:19. | :43:19. |