Browse content similar to Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
Line | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the House of Commons. At | :00:00. | :00:12. | |
10:10am there are questions on the work of the Electoral Commission and | :00:13. | :00:16. | |
Church of England matters and at 1030 of the House of Lords answering | :00:17. | :00:22. | |
questions on forthcoming Parliamentary business, followed by | :00:23. | :00:26. | |
two general debates in the chamber. The first marking international | :00:27. | :00:31. | |
women's day which this year is next Wednesday, but today, and the second | :00:32. | :00:35. | |
is on Welsh affairs following saint David's day yesterday. You can join | :00:36. | :00:40. | |
me for a round-up of the day in both Houses of Parliament at 11pm. First | :00:41. | :00:45. | |
questions to the Environment Secretary and her ministerial team. | :00:46. | :01:06. | |
Order, order. Questions to the Secretary of State for environment, | :01:07. | :01:15. | |
food and rural affairs. Number one. We run a consultation between the | :01:16. | :01:21. | |
20th of December 28 of February on proposals to ban micro beads in | :01:22. | :01:25. | |
cosmetics and personal care products and sort evidence on the | :01:26. | :01:30. | |
environmental impacts of micro plastics and we are reviewing the | :01:31. | :01:35. | |
results of the consultation and any new evidence will be used to inform | :01:36. | :01:40. | |
future actions to protect the marine environment. Can I welcome the | :01:41. | :01:44. | |
proposed ban as far as it goes? It appears that a number of products | :01:45. | :01:47. | |
such as make-up and son team would be exploded so can I Archer to adopt | :01:48. | :01:57. | |
the Greenpeace definition which is all ingredients of five millimetres | :01:58. | :02:00. | |
or less in any dimension used for any purpose? I am sure he will | :02:01. | :02:08. | |
welcome the fact that many manufacturers are proactively | :02:09. | :02:10. | |
removing micro beads from their products. We will look at the | :02:11. | :02:14. | |
responses of the consultation carefully and use them to inform any | :02:15. | :02:19. | |
future policy. Could I urge the government to go further than the US | :02:20. | :02:23. | |
ban and ban all products with micro beads in them that risk getting into | :02:24. | :02:28. | |
the marine environment? Will the government reject the idea that | :02:29. | :02:34. | |
biodegradable micro beads could be used instead because there is no | :02:35. | :02:37. | |
evidence there is such a thing? Could the government commissioned | :02:38. | :02:41. | |
research to see whether micro beads in a human tissue have a long-term | :02:42. | :02:46. | |
effect? The US ban has not yet come into force but we will continue to | :02:47. | :02:50. | |
monitor its progress and consider any learnings from its approach. | :02:51. | :02:55. | |
Evidence shows that the rents of products can damage the marine | :02:56. | :02:58. | |
environment and that is why we have extended the consultation. The | :02:59. | :03:04. | |
government's progress on banning micro beads is very welcome but | :03:05. | :03:07. | |
there are other forms of plastic polluting our seas including 50 | :03:08. | :03:11. | |
million plastic bottle thrown away every day. A Cornish -based charity | :03:12. | :03:18. | |
have obtained 209,000 signatures on a petition calling for a plastic | :03:19. | :03:22. | |
bottle deposit return scheme. Which she meets to discuss how we can | :03:23. | :03:28. | |
advance this petition and make progress on this issue? I would be | :03:29. | :03:31. | |
very happy to meet him to discuss this matter. We are looking at this | :03:32. | :03:41. | |
issue in terms of strategy. I want to publicise the great spring clean | :03:42. | :03:49. | |
following its success. I want to advertise BBC Suffolk's campaign | :03:50. | :03:55. | |
don't be a toss-up because the people who tour sweater around are | :03:56. | :04:03. | |
not the kind of people we want. A micro beads ban would be very | :04:04. | :04:06. | |
welcome extend the its products would be very welcome. Larger | :04:07. | :04:11. | |
plastics then break down and become micro plastics within the marine | :04:12. | :04:15. | |
environment under the biggest problem and a deposit return scheme | :04:16. | :04:18. | |
would make a big difference but what is she doing in terms of the | :04:19. | :04:23. | |
circular economy and trying to get manufacturers to design out such | :04:24. | :04:26. | |
products so we do not have a problem in the first place? The advance of | :04:27. | :04:30. | |
plastic packaging was to reflect consumer desire having safe products | :04:31. | :04:37. | |
quickly carry on an individual way. I welcome were manufacturers want to | :04:38. | :04:41. | |
introduce their own recycling schemes but since we were children | :04:42. | :04:44. | |
and perhaps getting pocket money for some of these return scheme is we | :04:45. | :04:48. | |
now have kerb-side recycling which have been successful in increasing | :04:49. | :04:54. | |
the amount of recycling. She has shown leadership on this issue and I | :04:55. | :04:58. | |
applaud the government's efforts so far but we need other countries they | :04:59. | :05:03. | |
get involved. Can she say more about what she is doing to make sure | :05:04. | :05:10. | |
collaboration across borders but not too much more? He is right. The | :05:11. | :05:20. | |
recent explosion of nurdles was due to the fact that several containers | :05:21. | :05:22. | |
fell off of the ship and were dispersed. We want to work carefully | :05:23. | :05:29. | |
with other countries in order to do this and we support the efforts in | :05:30. | :05:33. | |
clean as can be. A hotspot, there is clean as can be. A hotspot, there is | :05:34. | :05:40. | |
more we need to know to quantify the impact a presence in our seas to | :05:41. | :05:46. | |
eliminate them and much of the research has been coordinated | :05:47. | :05:49. | |
funding by the EU under the marine strategy framework directive. Can | :05:50. | :05:54. | |
she give certainty they will still have funding or opportunities for | :05:55. | :05:57. | |
collaboration after the UK leaves the EU? The UK is a leading player. | :05:58. | :06:04. | |
We protect more than half the season that region of which he will be | :06:05. | :06:08. | |
aware. I am confident we will continue to work with many other | :06:09. | :06:12. | |
countries including our scientists in order to tackle this issue. | :06:13. | :06:21. | |
Number two. May I welcome the member for Workington? I look forward to | :06:22. | :06:29. | |
working with her. Sincere apologies from my farming minister whose plane | :06:30. | :06:33. | |
has been delayed and he sent his sincere apologies. Ministers and | :06:34. | :06:40. | |
officials have met regularly with officials from across the fishing | :06:41. | :06:43. | |
industry since the referendum. Fisheries will be a key area in | :06:44. | :06:48. | |
negotiations and as a coastal state outside of the EU they UK will be | :06:49. | :06:53. | |
responsible under international law for controlling UK waters and for | :06:54. | :06:57. | |
the sustainable management of fisheries within it. I have | :06:58. | :07:02. | |
instinctive sympathy for anybody who gets delayed by planes. It is a big | :07:03. | :07:07. | |
part of my life. With regard to the Common Fisheries Policy she will be | :07:08. | :07:12. | |
aware that before we had it we had the London convention of 1964 which | :07:13. | :07:17. | |
governed access of foreign vessels to the six to 12 mile limit waters. | :07:18. | :07:23. | |
Isn't the government's intention to remain party to that convention | :07:24. | :07:29. | |
after we leave the EU? I am very aware of the issues around the | :07:30. | :07:32. | |
London convention and we are looking closely at it and we will be able to | :07:33. | :07:40. | |
comment in the near future. There is no doubt when we went into the EU | :07:41. | :07:44. | |
back in the 70s the fishermen had a very poor deal in the amount of fish | :07:45. | :07:47. | |
they could catch and the quarters they had so is there a real | :07:48. | :07:54. | |
opportunity to make sure we get better access to our waters, more | :07:55. | :07:58. | |
quantities of fish, so the industry can progress further? He is right | :07:59. | :08:04. | |
that there are enormous opportunities for UK fishing coming | :08:05. | :08:13. | |
from the EU and we will be looking to get the best possible deal. She | :08:14. | :08:18. | |
will know that our fish processing industry is more important to our | :08:19. | :08:21. | |
economy than the catching sector and it is very dependent on imports and | :08:22. | :08:27. | |
we exported more than 80% of what we catch so isn't maintaining tariff | :08:28. | :08:32. | |
free and other barrier free access to the single European market more | :08:33. | :08:35. | |
important than sterile arguments about fishing rights which could | :08:36. | :08:40. | |
result in battles or worse? I have to disagree. Our fishing communities | :08:41. | :08:49. | |
around the UK provide a vital vibrancy to local communities, rural | :08:50. | :08:53. | |
economies and so on, so to suggest that somehow processing is far more | :08:54. | :08:58. | |
important, I do not agree, however it is the case that we will be | :08:59. | :09:03. | |
seeking the freest possible access to the European markets but at the | :09:04. | :09:08. | |
same time when I was in China last year I signed a memorandum of | :09:09. | :09:12. | |
understanding with the Chinese were ?50 million which includes UK | :09:13. | :09:15. | |
seafood and that will be very important for us to be able to find | :09:16. | :09:23. | |
new export markets. Last Friday I spoke at a seminar of seafood and | :09:24. | :09:30. | |
fishing industry in the Grimsby Cleethorpes area. Once they | :09:31. | :09:33. | |
recognise the opportunities from Brexit they understandably have some | :09:34. | :09:38. | |
concerns. I welcome the reassurances from the minister but could she give | :09:39. | :09:43. | |
an absolute reassurance to the seafood processing sector that they | :09:44. | :09:46. | |
will form a key part of the negotiations? I have had a very | :09:47. | :09:54. | |
happy fish and chip lunch with my friend in Cleethorpes and I look | :09:55. | :09:56. | |
forward to further opportunities in the future. He is right to point out | :09:57. | :10:02. | |
that seafood processing is absolutely vital part of fishing | :10:03. | :10:06. | |
sector and something we are very much taking into account in our | :10:07. | :10:11. | |
negotiations for leaving the EU but also in looking at the opportunities | :10:12. | :10:15. | |
around the world. It is a joy to learn about the culinary habits of | :10:16. | :10:23. | |
the Secretary of State. Despite the fact we are eight months | :10:24. | :10:27. | |
on from the referendum in a recent meeting the Scottish minister the | :10:28. | :10:31. | |
Secretary of State was unable to provide any information on what | :10:32. | :10:35. | |
powers over the rural economy will flow to Scotland after Brexit. As | :10:36. | :10:40. | |
Ruth Davidson the Scottish Conservative leader let the cat out | :10:41. | :10:45. | |
of the bag, when she says there will be a cash grab, and when will she | :10:46. | :10:49. | |
come clean and own up to what this government plans to do to Scottish | :10:50. | :10:55. | |
fishing and farming? He will recognise that the UK market is | :10:56. | :11:01. | |
incredibly valuable to all other fishing communities and that will | :11:02. | :11:05. | |
continue to be very important. The Prime Minister has been very clear | :11:06. | :11:10. | |
no powers currently devolved will be as he says grabbed. Those will | :11:11. | :11:15. | |
continue to be. We are looking very carefully at the best possible deal | :11:16. | :11:19. | |
for all parts of the UK as we seek to negotiate for Brexit. Number | :11:20. | :11:28. | |
three. I apologise for being a little late, I was at an exhibition | :11:29. | :11:34. | |
in the Gulf and the plane got stranded due to fog. The government | :11:35. | :11:40. | |
wants to see the UK grow more and sell more British food and drink | :11:41. | :11:44. | |
through the introduction of a new plan for government procurement we | :11:45. | :11:47. | |
have sought to enable government departments to source more local | :11:48. | :11:51. | |
food and recent successes include the Ministry of Justice implementing | :11:52. | :11:56. | |
a plan, last year exports of food and drink increased by 9% up to ?20 | :11:57. | :11:57. | |
billion. West Sussex is home to our finest | :11:58. | :12:05. | |
food and rig including Aric sectional graduate local cheese, | :12:06. | :12:12. | |
which is the superb Sussex charmer. What further opportunities does the | :12:13. | :12:16. | |
Minister for sea to promote high quality, well branded, locally | :12:17. | :12:21. | |
provenance to food? -- does the Minister for C. Very exciting! I | :12:22. | :12:32. | |
could not agree more, and products like the Sussex Charmer cheese and | :12:33. | :12:35. | |
the wines produced in the South Downs is second to none which is why | :12:36. | :12:38. | |
we have set up the great British food unit to promote our food at | :12:39. | :12:41. | |
home and abroad and why I am today returning late sadly from the | :12:42. | :12:44. | |
world's largest annual trade fair on food. Can I remind the Minister that | :12:45. | :12:51. | |
we don't want food at any price? Has he heard this morning, another seven | :12:52. | :12:57. | |
species endangered in our country because of intensive farming? When | :12:58. | :13:00. | |
are we going to have good, productive farming, importing less | :13:01. | :13:06. | |
but sustainable farming? I think the honourable gentleman makes an | :13:07. | :13:11. | |
important point and as we design agriculture policy, domestic | :13:12. | :13:13. | |
agriculture policy, after we leave the European Union, one of the | :13:14. | :13:16. | |
things we will look at is making sure we have sustainable farming and | :13:17. | :13:19. | |
making sure we get the benefits of farming sustainable it while | :13:20. | :13:26. | |
improving productivity as well. Will the Minister join me in celebrating | :13:27. | :13:29. | |
the success of white mark on the Isle of Wight? There are now over | :13:30. | :13:35. | |
450 food and drink to relax on the Isle of Wight and white mark is now | :13:36. | :13:40. | |
being used to promote the island as a specialty food destination? I'm | :13:41. | :13:47. | |
delighted, and I think my honourable friend makes an incredibly important | :13:48. | :13:51. | |
point that white mark celebrates the Isle of Wight's brilliantly produced | :13:52. | :13:58. | |
food, and it is a great example of how little public money and the | :13:59. | :14:01. | |
support of partners can really celebrate the providence of local | :14:02. | :14:07. | |
food. Farmers are facing a critical shortage of seasonal labour. Some | :14:08. | :14:12. | |
are afraid that our food will rot in the ground this year. The government | :14:13. | :14:16. | |
has been asked to reverse its decision to scrap the seasonal | :14:17. | :14:20. | |
agricultural workers scheme. Ministers say they are reviewing the | :14:21. | :14:23. | |
issue but can a decision please be made as a matter of urgency? I | :14:24. | :14:29. | |
simply point out to the honourable gentleman that while we remain | :14:30. | :14:31. | |
members of the European Union, we still have free movement and fruit | :14:32. | :14:36. | |
farms and farmers are still able to source labour from countries like | :14:37. | :14:39. | |
Romania and Bulgaria. We are aware that some have raised concerns about | :14:40. | :14:42. | |
agricultural labour going forward after we leave the EU. We listening | :14:43. | :14:46. | |
carefully to representation they are making. Mr Speaker, would my | :14:47. | :14:51. | |
honourable friend share the view expressed by the Conservative animal | :14:52. | :14:54. | |
welfare foundation that leaving the European Union can both help farmers | :14:55. | :14:59. | |
to increase their share of domestic products and animal welfare by | :15:00. | :15:02. | |
preventing the import of goods produced under circumstances that | :15:03. | :15:08. | |
would not be permitted in the UK? As my honourable friend is aware, this | :15:09. | :15:12. | |
government has a manifesto commitment to place stronger | :15:13. | :15:15. | |
recognition of animal welfare issues in the design of future agriculture | :15:16. | :15:20. | |
policy. But also to promote higher standards of animal welfare in | :15:21. | :15:23. | |
international trade deals. We intend to implement those manifesto | :15:24. | :15:30. | |
commitments. ... During the Scottish affairs select committee session I | :15:31. | :15:35. | |
heard evidence from Gary Mitchell from National Farmers Union | :15:36. | :15:37. | |
Scotland, two things are made very clear, that access to migrant labour | :15:38. | :15:41. | |
for seasonal work is absolutely essential for our agricultural | :15:42. | :15:45. | |
sector, and the government is yet to respond to the representations made | :15:46. | :15:50. | |
by NFU Scotland over these concerns. Will the secretary commit today to | :15:51. | :15:54. | |
looking into this and providing an urgent clarification to the | :15:55. | :15:59. | |
agricultural industry and where it stands...? The honourable lady can | :16:00. | :16:04. | |
now breathe! Minister. I have regular meetings with NFU Scotland. | :16:05. | :16:08. | |
Earlier this year, I had a meeting with them and we engaged on a wide | :16:09. | :16:12. | |
range of issues pertinent to future agriculture policy in Scotland. This | :16:13. | :16:15. | |
included looking at the issue of labour as well. Question number | :16:16. | :16:24. | |
four. There's a lot of interest in seasonal agricultural labour at the | :16:25. | :16:27. | |
moment but Defra ministers engage regularly with ministerial | :16:28. | :16:29. | |
colleagues in the Home Office and other departments to discuss the | :16:30. | :16:32. | |
issue of migrant labour in the agricultural sector after we leave | :16:33. | :16:36. | |
the EU. We are aware the availability of labour is a concern | :16:37. | :16:40. | |
for some sectors of the industry. However, leaving the EU and | :16:41. | :16:42. | |
establishing controlled migration does not mean closing off all | :16:43. | :16:46. | |
immigration. It simply means we will be able to identify where we have | :16:47. | :16:49. | |
made and put in place suitable arrangements. Growers in my | :16:50. | :16:57. | |
constituency are worried about fruit going unpicked, not only after we | :16:58. | :17:02. | |
leave the EU but also this year. Can my honourable friend assure me he | :17:03. | :17:06. | |
will continue to press the Home Office on this issue, not only on | :17:07. | :17:09. | |
seasonal agricultural workers after we leave the EU but also between now | :17:10. | :17:16. | |
and then? As my honourable friend may know, I spent ten years working | :17:17. | :17:20. | |
in the soft fruit industry. Indeed, I will know many of the strawberry | :17:21. | :17:26. | |
farmers which she represents. I'm also aware that the Secretary of | :17:27. | :17:30. | |
State has taken up a kind offer from my honourable friend to visit and | :17:31. | :17:33. | |
meet some of the farmers there to discuss their concerns. But I can | :17:34. | :17:38. | |
tell her that I ran a soft fruit enterprise, employing several | :17:39. | :17:42. | |
hundred people and I understand the challenges the industry faces. Mr | :17:43. | :17:46. | |
Speaker, but there is an immediate problem in that many of the fruit | :17:47. | :17:50. | |
farmers in my constituency have already entered into contracts for | :17:51. | :17:52. | |
migrant labour for this coming season. They have been concerned | :17:53. | :17:58. | |
about some reports last week that the government are considering | :17:59. | :18:00. | |
restricting free movement or introducing work permits when | :18:01. | :18:05. | |
Article 50 is triggered. Can the Minister confirm whether this is | :18:06. | :18:08. | |
happening or give them assurance that this will not happen and they | :18:09. | :18:11. | |
can fulfil the contract they have already entered into? The point we | :18:12. | :18:17. | |
have been making to the industry is that while we may remain members of | :18:18. | :18:21. | |
the European Union, that is until we leave, not until we trigger Article | :18:22. | :18:26. | |
50, free movement remains. The feedback I'm getting is that most | :18:27. | :18:28. | |
farmers are able to source the labour they need from countries like | :18:29. | :18:32. | |
the area and Romania. We will give the industry plenty of notice of | :18:33. | :18:36. | |
what arrangements we intend to put in place after we leave the EU. | :18:37. | :18:43. | |
Question five. At the recent NFU conference, I set out five | :18:44. | :18:46. | |
principles that will support a prosperous future farming industry, | :18:47. | :18:52. | |
trade, productivity, sustainability, trust and resilience. We are now in | :18:53. | :18:57. | |
the process of a broad consultation, right across farmers, food producers | :18:58. | :19:01. | |
and NGOs, to hear their views as we build a policy that will achieve our | :19:02. | :19:06. | |
twin ambitions of a thriving farming sector, and an environment that is | :19:07. | :19:12. | |
in a better state than we found it. Like my right honourable friend, I | :19:13. | :19:16. | |
meet farmers regularly, mainly through Staffordshire and Lichfield | :19:17. | :19:20. | |
NFU. They are very positive, actually, about Brexit, and they see | :19:21. | :19:24. | |
the opportunities. But I know that we export something like ?20 billion | :19:25. | :19:30. | |
per year overseas and to Europe. What efforts are my right honourable | :19:31. | :19:34. | |
friend is taking to ensure that we still continue to have access after | :19:35. | :19:40. | |
Brexit? As he will know, we're working very hard right across | :19:41. | :19:43. | |
government to make sure we get the best possible deal on market access | :19:44. | :19:47. | |
for our agri- food sector when we leave the EU. There are huge global | :19:48. | :19:51. | |
opportunities for Staffordshire farmers. Later, I'm visiting Harper | :19:52. | :19:56. | |
Adams College in neighbouring Shropshire and visiting the chamber | :19:57. | :20:00. | |
of agriculture, to hear from the Next Generation as well as current | :20:01. | :20:03. | |
farmers about how we can seize those opportunities. Our constitutional | :20:04. | :20:08. | |
arrangements are very different today than they were in 1972. What | :20:09. | :20:12. | |
assurances can be Secretary of State give that those agricultural rules | :20:13. | :20:18. | |
that are currently set in Brussels won't after our exit from the EU BX | :20:19. | :20:22. | |
is beset by the UK Government but will be set by the devolved | :20:23. | :20:25. | |
administrations with the closest knowledge of local performing | :20:26. | :20:30. | |
industries? -- local farming industries. We are clear that in the | :20:31. | :20:35. | |
great repeal Bill, we will bring all of this into UK law. Then we will be | :20:36. | :20:39. | |
in a position in the UK to look at what works best for the UK. What I | :20:40. | :20:45. | |
can tell the honourable gentleman is that I am working and will continue | :20:46. | :20:48. | |
to work very closely with our colleagues in the devolved | :20:49. | :20:51. | |
administrations to make sure that we get the best possible deal that | :20:52. | :20:58. | |
works for all parts of the UK. Does the Minister share my view that the | :20:59. | :21:01. | |
need to accommodate the views of 28 different countries has led to the | :21:02. | :21:05. | |
CIP becoming overly bureaucratic in a way that has harmed the interest | :21:06. | :21:11. | |
in British farmers? To write! Yes Mike honourable friend is right, the | :21:12. | :21:13. | |
complexity and bureaucracy associated with the CHP costs the | :21:14. | :21:18. | |
industry five million pounds a year and 300 man-hours. -- CAP. Reducing | :21:19. | :21:24. | |
the burden will help us to grow more and sell more and export more of our | :21:25. | :21:30. | |
great British food. The strength of the farming sector will depend on | :21:31. | :21:35. | |
whether or not it has a reasonable supply of labour, and adequate | :21:36. | :21:40. | |
supply of labour. The minister earlier suggested there is not yet a | :21:41. | :21:45. | |
problem here but we already know that workers from the European Union | :21:46. | :21:48. | |
are reluctant to come to the UK to work. So when is the Secretary of | :21:49. | :21:52. | |
State going to make it clear that we are going to have a seasonal | :21:53. | :21:57. | |
agricultural workers scheme? What is the timeline? The honourable lady is | :21:58. | :22:00. | |
not correct when she says that people are reluctant to come here. | :22:01. | :22:04. | |
In fact, the ONS figures for last year showed that there were more | :22:05. | :22:08. | |
migrant workers coming from the EU than ever before. That just isn't | :22:09. | :22:14. | |
true. As my honourable friend has pointed out, free movement will | :22:15. | :22:17. | |
continue until the point that we leave the EU. We are working closely | :22:18. | :22:21. | |
with the Home Office to assess, understand and put in place good | :22:22. | :22:24. | |
systems to make sure that we continue to thrive. -- thrive in | :22:25. | :22:32. | |
this important sector. Recent EU regulations like the free crop will | :22:33. | :22:36. | |
have tied up farmers in red tape whilst not delivering for the | :22:37. | :22:40. | |
environment. As crop rotation has been around in Lincolnshire for | :22:41. | :22:45. | |
rather more than the EU, Wilshere Greek, my right honourable friend, | :22:46. | :22:48. | |
that the first thing we do when we leave the EU is get rid of | :22:49. | :22:52. | |
burdensome regulation on farmers? Yes, well I agree with my honourable | :22:53. | :22:57. | |
friend, the free crop rule is exactly the sort of measure we | :22:58. | :22:59. | |
should change when we leave the EU. Of course, we want farmers to manage | :23:00. | :23:04. | |
sustainable rotation to optimise yields and protect soil but we could | :23:05. | :23:07. | |
do that without forcing them to grow a specific number of crops on a | :23:08. | :23:14. | |
specific acreage of land. The NFU warned last week that the | :23:15. | :23:18. | |
government's lack of parity risks stifling the farming industry -- | :23:19. | :23:22. | |
lack of clarity. This week it was reported that the price of | :23:23. | :23:26. | |
agricultural land fell 7% in the last year due to the uncertainty of | :23:27. | :23:30. | |
Brexit. The absence of any government planning is plunging | :23:31. | :23:34. | |
farming into a very grave state. When will the government give | :23:35. | :23:38. | |
clarity and a long-term commitment to the farming industry on access to | :23:39. | :23:42. | |
the single market, access to a seasonal workforce, and a new, | :23:43. | :23:50. | |
long-term agricultural policy? I think the Prime Minister has made | :23:51. | :23:54. | |
very clear Aaron Bish and is for an all-encompassing free-trade | :23:55. | :23:56. | |
agreement with the European Union to retain free and fair access to the | :23:57. | :24:01. | |
European single market, we have already discussed, we are looking | :24:02. | :24:04. | |
very closely at what they need is for workforce currently and in the | :24:05. | :24:07. | |
future, and of course, we are looking very carefully at what more | :24:08. | :24:11. | |
around the world we could do to make a huge success of leaving the | :24:12. | :24:16. | |
European Union. Number six, Mr Speaker. We recognise the importance | :24:17. | :24:20. | |
that forestry plays in the UK as a carbon sink and in 2015, forestry | :24:21. | :24:26. | |
contributed an annual emissions reduction of 17.5 million tonnes of | :24:27. | :24:31. | |
CO2 towards our carbon reduction targets. During last week's storm, | :24:32. | :24:35. | |
many trees were felled by the force of nature and we could see that many | :24:36. | :24:38. | |
of them were diseased. Could I ask what the department is doing to | :24:39. | :24:42. | |
ensure that the threats to tree health are factored into the Carbon | :24:43. | :24:48. | |
reduction strategy? Mr Speaker, the government takes tree health | :24:49. | :24:51. | |
extremely seriously which is why we promote by a security | :24:52. | :24:54. | |
internationally at UK Borders and inland to ensure pest and disease | :24:55. | :24:57. | |
risks are effectively managed so we can continue to actively manage our | :24:58. | :25:01. | |
woodlands and forest to continue to contribute a carbon reduction | :25:02. | :25:06. | |
targets. As well as helping to meet the government's carbon targets, the | :25:07. | :25:09. | |
planting of trees also has a wide range of environmental benefits but | :25:10. | :25:12. | |
does the Minister think that her department's plans are ambitious | :25:13. | :25:16. | |
enough to reap the benefits that trees and woodland undoubtedly | :25:17. | :25:21. | |
bring? Mr Speaker, I do think they are sufficiently ambitious. We are | :25:22. | :25:25. | |
absolutely confident we will hit our 11 million trees of new planting | :25:26. | :25:28. | |
during the lifetime of the parliament. I hope he will speak to | :25:29. | :25:32. | |
his former honourable friend, the mayor of London, so that he plods | :25:33. | :25:36. | |
his 2 million trees that he pledged to do before he got elected. Mr | :25:37. | :25:41. | |
Speaker, the Minister will be aware of the outbreak of sweet chestnut | :25:42. | :25:45. | |
blight near Exeter and whilst we're doing the first national survey of | :25:46. | :25:48. | |
historical woodland, what more can be done in the short term to prevent | :25:49. | :25:52. | |
the importation of devastating diseases, spread by the | :25:53. | :25:54. | |
International Plant trade, while doing nothing to discourage | :25:55. | :26:00. | |
tree-planting woodland creation? Mr Speaker, I know that bio-security is | :26:01. | :26:03. | |
one of the key elements of our agencies at the borders and they are | :26:04. | :26:07. | |
very proactive in trying to identify the dead risks and threats coming | :26:08. | :26:11. | |
into this sector. That is why we will always -- to identify the risks | :26:12. | :26:16. | |
and threats. That is why we will continue to promote trees grown in | :26:17. | :26:20. | |
this country. The main drivers of change in food prices are energy | :26:21. | :26:24. | |
costs and exchange rates and these forces affect all countries in the | :26:25. | :26:27. | |
world, whether or not they are members of the EU. In 2008, there | :26:28. | :26:31. | |
was a steep spike in food prices, and prices continue to rise until | :26:32. | :26:36. | |
2014. Since 2014, there has been a 6% fall in food prices, despite the | :26:37. | :26:39. | |
depreciation of sterling last summer, we tell food prices have | :26:40. | :26:43. | |
remained relatively stable without overall fall during 2016 0.5%. Large | :26:44. | :26:51. | |
numbers of people in my constituency are in work but they are still in | :26:52. | :26:56. | |
poverty. They are feeling the effects of increased food prices as | :26:57. | :26:59. | |
they have gone up over recent months. They are so dependent on | :27:00. | :27:04. | |
cheap EU food products, what is the Minister going to do to protect them | :27:05. | :27:09. | |
in the longer term? As I say, the facts don't bear out what the | :27:10. | :27:13. | |
honourable member says. We have seen a fall in food prices of 0.5% over | :27:14. | :27:19. | |
the last year and a fall of 6% since 2014. But we do monitor this | :27:20. | :27:23. | |
situation closely. We have the annual living cost of food survey | :27:24. | :27:25. | |
which measures closely particularly the poorest households in the UK and | :27:26. | :27:30. | |
the money they spend on food and it has remained remarkably stable in | :27:31. | :27:31. | |
the last decade. The paradoxes we starve the poor | :27:32. | :27:42. | |
when we refuse to buy their food from them. Will he bear that in | :27:43. | :27:49. | |
mind? He makes an important point and we have some preferential trade | :27:50. | :27:52. | |
agreements in place with some developing countries particularly | :27:53. | :27:56. | |
from the Caribbean to buy sugar from them and these are certainly | :27:57. | :27:59. | |
arrangements we will want to maintain and secure so we can | :28:00. | :28:07. | |
support developing countries. He has talked about food prices falling but | :28:08. | :28:11. | |
supermarkets are warning of the potential for food prices to rise | :28:12. | :28:15. | |
significantly this year having a huge effect on every household in | :28:16. | :28:19. | |
the country. Nearly half of food is imported and due to the weak pound | :28:20. | :28:23. | |
and inflation prices are already starting to rise for the first time | :28:24. | :28:27. | |
in three yours. What exactly is the government doing to help with the | :28:28. | :28:37. | |
price rises? As I said earlier, we monitor closely the amount of money | :28:38. | :28:42. | |
people are spending on food. It has remained remarkably stable at around | :28:43. | :28:46. | |
16.5% for the last decade. We continue to keep the issue under | :28:47. | :28:51. | |
review. The greatest spike we had in food prices took place in 2008 under | :28:52. | :28:56. | |
their watch. Food prices have been falling since 2014. You talk about | :28:57. | :29:04. | |
monitoring but it has been recently revealed that research specifically | :29:05. | :29:10. | |
to inform agriculturally environmental policy once the UK | :29:11. | :29:11. | |
leaves the European Union has not leaves the European Union has not | :29:12. | :29:15. | |
been commissioned by the departments of your warm words are all very well | :29:16. | :29:19. | |
clarity and the government is clarity and the government is | :29:20. | :29:23. | |
failing to deliver. Can he tell us how the government can have any real | :29:24. | :29:27. | |
understanding of the current situation without adequate research | :29:28. | :29:33. | |
in place? We are doing a vast amount of analysis and policy research in | :29:34. | :29:40. | |
the department to inform future policy. In response to a | :29:41. | :29:40. | |
Parliamentary question, a specific Parliamentary question, a specific | :29:41. | :29:45. | |
question about scientific research, and had recommissioned scientific | :29:46. | :29:50. | |
research on the effects of leaving the EU, no, we do not have to | :29:51. | :29:55. | |
because we have regular evaluation of all of our environmental policies | :29:56. | :29:59. | |
Can I hand to colleagues in respect Can I hand to colleagues in respect | :30:00. | :30:04. | |
of the next question that there are opportunities to others lower down | :30:05. | :30:08. | |
in the paper to comment if they wish? Number 11. There is already a | :30:09. | :30:22. | |
degree of self management of the fishing regime by producer | :30:23. | :30:25. | |
organisations in the fishing industry through the systems we have | :30:26. | :30:28. | |
of trading quarters and markets in leasing and exchanges of | :30:29. | :30:34. | |
organisations however leaving the EU creates an opportunity to look at | :30:35. | :30:38. | |
how we manage our fisheries and the approach other countries are taking. | :30:39. | :30:43. | |
The EU is a wonderful opportunity to rethink public policy. What about | :30:44. | :30:48. | |
better terms for UK fishermen and better access for our exclusive | :30:49. | :30:53. | |
economic zone? As he will know I have consistently made clearly been | :30:54. | :30:58. | |
the EU means we would take back control of our exclusive economic | :30:59. | :31:02. | |
zone my 200 nautical miles, and that will create the opportunity for us | :31:03. | :31:07. | |
to look afresh at the mutual access agreements and shares of the total | :31:08. | :31:14. | |
reliable catch. Current EU regulations prevent farmers from | :31:15. | :31:19. | |
trimming hedges in August. Does he agree Brexit offers a great | :31:20. | :31:22. | |
opportunity for a criminal of regulations and the trimming of rope | :31:23. | :31:26. | |
-- rules that prevent hedge cutting taking place at this time? I was | :31:27. | :31:34. | |
hoping there would be a hint... I was hoping there would be link | :31:35. | :31:38. | |
between hedge cutting and fishing. They have in common they are | :31:39. | :31:42. | |
policies that originate from the EU. Leaving the EU gives an opportunity | :31:43. | :31:47. | |
to review some of these things. We already have a dedication for | :31:48. | :31:51. | |
farmers growing winter crops to be able to train their hedges earlier. | :31:52. | :31:57. | |
In particular certain species are vulnerable, the yellowhammer, and we | :31:58. | :32:05. | |
want to protect those. Scottish farmed salmon has experienced a | :32:06. | :32:09. | |
significant increase in exports to Canada however why did this | :32:10. | :32:13. | |
government not put any Scottish geographical indicators forward in | :32:14. | :32:16. | |
the agreement despite indicating they would be putting the Scottish | :32:17. | :32:19. | |
food industry at a commercial disadvantage? I can reassure members | :32:20. | :32:24. | |
opposite I am regularly promoting Scottish salmon, most recently in | :32:25. | :32:29. | |
the Gulf this week. And Scottish salmon is one of our major exports | :32:30. | :32:34. | |
alongside Scottish whisky and we champion it at every opportunity. | :32:35. | :32:42. | |
The chief executive of the National Farmers' Union in Scotland has come | :32:43. | :32:46. | |
up with a very worthwhile idea when it comes to framing a post Brexit | :32:47. | :32:53. | |
support regime for agriculture and fishing. His suggestion is the | :32:54. | :32:57. | |
devolved administrations are allowed to choose from a menu of policies | :32:58. | :33:03. | |
which are based applicable in their jurisdiction. Would he look at that | :33:04. | :33:11. | |
proposal? I discuss proposals along these lines specifically with NFU | :33:12. | :33:15. | |
Scotland at the beginning of this year. There is a consensus emerging | :33:16. | :33:19. | |
that has to be some kind of UK framework and within that we want to | :33:20. | :33:23. | |
ensure the devolved administration can perceive policies that are right | :33:24. | :33:27. | |
for them and we will work closely with all the vault administrations | :33:28. | :33:30. | |
to make sure that policy once they leave the EU works for Scotland and | :33:31. | :33:38. | |
others. Not only can this government confirmed where powers will lie | :33:39. | :33:42. | |
after Brexit, they also cannot see how financial support for farmers | :33:43. | :33:46. | |
will work. Why are the interests of Scottish farmers that a low priority | :33:47. | :33:52. | |
for this government? I do not accept what she says. We have guaranteed | :33:53. | :33:57. | |
payments up until 2020. Insured the budget is still there and made clear | :33:58. | :34:03. | |
that well in advance of that date we will be able to give farmers | :34:04. | :34:06. | |
throughout the UK a very clear picture of what future support | :34:07. | :34:09. | |
arrangements will look like. Topical questions. Number one. I would like | :34:10. | :34:18. | |
to update on the delivery of the basic payments scheme. 95.5% of | :34:19. | :34:22. | |
farmers have received their payment which is good progress but still | :34:23. | :34:26. | |
more to be done. Last week I secured agreement from the Treasury that a | :34:27. | :34:31. | |
75% bridging payment will be available to any farmer with an | :34:32. | :34:34. | |
outstanding claim at the end of March and the window for the 27 | :34:35. | :34:41. | |
applications opened yesterday. -- 20 Zaventem. The minister mentioned the | :34:42. | :34:49. | |
mayor of London our former colleague. Can I ask her to pay | :34:50. | :34:54. | |
tribute to the work he is doing in tackling pure air quality but also | :34:55. | :34:59. | |
to say whether it is her policy to retain the existing provisions in | :35:00. | :35:03. | |
air quality provisions in UK law after the UK has left the EU? It is | :35:04. | :35:09. | |
the case with B will keep all regulations when we leave the EU so | :35:10. | :35:14. | |
that when we leave, the day after we leave, the regulations will look the | :35:15. | :35:17. | |
same as the day before. We are looking very carefully at the issue | :35:18. | :35:23. | |
of air quality and have spent over ?2 billion since 2010 in ultralow | :35:24. | :35:26. | |
emissions vehicles and trying to reduce the impact of poor air | :35:27. | :35:32. | |
quality and we are looking closely at that. Will she join me in paying | :35:33. | :35:37. | |
tribute to poultry producers across the north who set the highest animal | :35:38. | :35:42. | |
welfare and bio-security standards? That has to be concerned about the | :35:43. | :35:47. | |
recent avian flu outburst but can she confirmed that no poultry | :35:48. | :35:49. | |
producers in no foot will lose their free range status? We are determined | :35:50. | :35:58. | |
to hold this terrible disease at bay for the sake of our entire poultry | :35:59. | :36:03. | |
sector and our robust action so far have included an amended avian | :36:04. | :36:10. | |
influenza zone which covers all of England and requires mandatory | :36:11. | :36:13. | |
bio-security for all keepers at the compulsory housing or netting of | :36:14. | :36:19. | |
poultry and captive birds defined in higher risk areas, very important | :36:20. | :36:27. | |
for the entire sector. Further to that, she must be aware that English | :36:28. | :36:31. | |
poultry producers are very concerned about the prospect of losing free | :36:32. | :36:35. | |
range status due to the postcode lottery bird flu restrictions the | :36:36. | :36:39. | |
stump and this has been expressed particularly by the British free | :36:40. | :36:43. | |
range egg producers association concerned about the inconsistency in | :36:44. | :36:47. | |
approach. What more can the ministers say to assure egg | :36:48. | :36:54. | |
producers across the UK that the rate things are being put in place | :36:55. | :37:00. | |
to sort this whole side issue out? Colleagues will be aware there was a | :37:01. | :37:06. | |
fool housing order until the 28th of February and an extensive scientific | :37:07. | :37:12. | |
advice we have gleaned that there is a higher risk area and in those | :37:13. | :37:18. | |
places where wildfowl congregate. That is very extensively | :37:19. | :37:21. | |
peer-reviewed on the basis of scientific evidence and that is why | :37:22. | :37:26. | |
we published a paper outlining the rationale, this is absolutely not | :37:27. | :37:30. | |
out of our heads or buy any way whatsoever doing anything other than | :37:31. | :37:34. | |
protecting this vital sector. I've been contacted by a number of my | :37:35. | :37:38. | |
constituents concerned about the welfare of puppies, particularly in | :37:39. | :37:42. | |
the context of puppy farming and puppies bred for sale. Can she set | :37:43. | :37:49. | |
out what action he is taking to tackle so-called backstreet pleading | :37:50. | :37:56. | |
and to ensure welfare standards? Makes an important point and while I | :37:57. | :38:01. | |
was responsible for this part of the portfolio I championed this issue. | :38:02. | :38:03. | |
The government's recently published proposals for improving the law, | :38:04. | :38:09. | |
anyone pleading and selling three litres and a 12 month period will | :38:10. | :38:12. | |
need a licence I know puppies will be sold under the age of eight | :38:13. | :38:21. | |
weeks. -- and know puppies. Overseeing a mass evacuation. Is | :38:22. | :38:25. | |
there extra funding available to support councils? Traditionally | :38:26. | :38:36. | |
councils were given grants for there flooding responsibilities in that | :38:37. | :38:40. | |
regard. I visited the centre near Jamie cancel the excellent work | :38:41. | :38:45. | |
being done by the council and voluntary services as well as the | :38:46. | :38:48. | |
emergency service response. Nevertheless I am sure councils will | :38:49. | :38:52. | |
continue to reflect on what happened and three of their schemes continue | :38:53. | :38:57. | |
to be appropriate. The Prime Minister recently laid out plans to | :38:58. | :39:01. | |
invest in ?4.7 billion in innovation by 2021. Could the minister explain | :39:02. | :39:06. | |
how the food and farming communities of West Oxfordshire and look forward | :39:07. | :39:14. | |
to benefiting? We already have a strategy in place which is worth | :39:15. | :39:19. | |
?160 million and is supported over 100 different projects to support | :39:20. | :39:24. | |
science and technology transfer in food and farming and we have food | :39:25. | :39:28. | |
information networks to try to create clusters of innovation in the | :39:29. | :39:34. | |
food sector. With the Secretary of State go back to her office and | :39:35. | :39:37. | |
seriously think about how we protect the maritime environment when we | :39:38. | :39:43. | |
come out of the EU? Where are the protected and is that save fish, | :39:44. | :39:48. | |
save the future of fish and the maritime environment? We take the | :39:49. | :39:51. | |
marine environment very seriously and that is why in our manifesto we | :39:52. | :39:55. | |
said we would extend the blue belt and we have done around the | :39:56. | :39:59. | |
shoreline of this country and overseas territories. I can assure | :40:00. | :40:04. | |
him we will continue to play a leading role as well as through our | :40:05. | :40:12. | |
role on the European Council. A BBC drama airs tomorrow on Radio 4 and | :40:13. | :40:16. | |
portrays a disturbing future without effective antibiotics, which is also | :40:17. | :40:20. | |
the subject of my Westminster Hall debate next week. As the Secretary | :40:21. | :40:26. | |
of State agree that although we are world leaders the fact we have | :40:27. | :40:32. | |
recently licensed three new products which are the last line of defence | :40:33. | :40:39. | |
sure there is more we can do? He will be aware that the UK has taken | :40:40. | :40:43. | |
a leading role in this topic and we have pushed this onto the agenda at | :40:44. | :40:53. | |
the G7 and G20. There are processes we can adopt that reduce our | :40:54. | :40:57. | |
reliance on antibiotics for example through acidification of water. | :40:58. | :41:03. | |
Antibiotics have a role in agriculture as well. Partial | :41:04. | :41:09. | |
liberalisation of the watermark begins in April this year. Yet we | :41:10. | :41:17. | |
have seen nothing of the abstract reform legislation which is | :41:18. | :41:20. | |
essential of this liberalisation is going to work. When is she going to | :41:21. | :41:25. | |
publish the bill? We take the preservation and use of water very | :41:26. | :41:30. | |
seriously. Opening up the market for businesses is a good advance but I | :41:31. | :41:33. | |
am looking at those other matters carefully. On the day after St | :41:34. | :41:41. | |
Stephen's Day would she reassure Welsh farmers that Welsh lamb and | :41:42. | :41:45. | |
not New Zealand lamb will be in the forefront of her mind when | :41:46. | :41:55. | |
negotiating Brexit? -- St David's. We enjoyed that lovely reception at | :41:56. | :42:00. | |
Downing Street and fabulous Welsh singing. We will be absolutely | :42:01. | :42:05. | |
keeping Welsh lamb farmers at the heart of our negotiations when we | :42:06. | :42:06. | |
negotiate any free trade agreements. At Hermes meeting recently with the | :42:07. | :42:18. | |
Scottish rural affairs minister, the secretary of State described the | :42:19. | :42:21. | |
discussions as good but the Scottish minister said that all they got was | :42:22. | :42:29. | |
radio silence. I interpret that the Minister's idea of a good meeting is | :42:30. | :42:33. | |
to say nothing. It was a Private meeting. In fact, the agreement was | :42:34. | :42:38. | |
that we would not be talking openly about the level of discussions. I | :42:39. | :42:42. | |
found it very helpful. We made some progress and got a clear way | :42:43. | :42:45. | |
forward. Those discussions need to take place and I look forward to | :42:46. | :42:49. | |
more of them. Has the Secretary of State seen a very positive statement | :42:50. | :42:52. | |
from Associated British Foods which runs the iconic sugar beet and sugar | :42:53. | :42:59. | |
factory British Sugar Newark saying that prose Brexit, the ability to | :43:00. | :43:02. | |
design their own system without EU quotas will lead to up to 50% | :43:03. | :43:07. | |
increase in profits and sales with good news for farmers and consumers? | :43:08. | :43:14. | |
-- post Brexit. My honourable friend makes an important point, Associated | :43:15. | :43:16. | |
British Foods is one of the great British owned food companies. They | :43:17. | :43:21. | |
are a world leader in sugar and they have driven competitiveness and | :43:22. | :43:23. | |
investment in the industry and I believe the sugar industry in this | :43:24. | :43:28. | |
country has a great future. Since 2010, the Defra budget has been cut | :43:29. | :43:33. | |
by 57% and is struggling to get out plans like the 25 year farming plan | :43:34. | :43:37. | |
so what discussions have the Secretary of State had with the | :43:38. | :43:40. | |
Treasury to protect the budget from 6% expected next week? My department | :43:41. | :43:46. | |
is indeed involved in a transformation project which will | :43:47. | :43:50. | |
take out costs but will also deliver better, more focused front line | :43:51. | :43:53. | |
customer service. I'm very optimistic about that. We are | :43:54. | :43:56. | |
looking carefully at further efficiency savings that are needed. | :43:57. | :44:01. | |
I apologise to the house, it is very hungry today but I'm afraid demand, | :44:02. | :44:06. | |
as so often, exceeds supply and it is not possible to satisfy the | :44:07. | :44:12. | |
appetite of all colleagues. We must now move on. Questions to | :44:13. | :44:14. |