:00:11. > :00:18.Welcome to BBC Parliament's live coverage of the House of Commons. In
:00:19. > :00:23.an hour, the Labour MP Stephen Doughty has tabled an urgent
:00:24. > :00:27.question on gay and lesbian people in the Chechen Republic of Russia,
:00:28. > :00:36.author won after reports of people being tortured and at least three
:00:37. > :00:42.killed. In David -- David Livingstone will set out forthcoming
:00:43. > :00:44.business. Then there will be two select committee statements, about
:00:45. > :00:51.the public administration and Constitutional affairs committee,
:00:52. > :00:56.and lessons to be learned in the EU referendum. The second in the
:00:57. > :01:03.Justice committee's report on prison reform. Then we will discuss the
:01:04. > :01:07.Gorton by-election, after the death of Sir Gerald Kaufman, which will
:01:08. > :01:13.allow a by-election on the 8th of June. Then there will be questions
:01:14. > :01:17.on the impact of changes to state pensions on UK expats and the second
:01:18. > :01:23.on infectious diseases. Join me for a round-up of the day in the House
:01:24. > :01:25.of Commons at 11pm tonight. First we have questions for the Environment,
:01:26. > :01:30.Food and Rural Affairs secretary, Andrea Leadsome, and her team of
:01:31. > :01:40.ministers. The UK has made significant progress in improving
:01:41. > :01:49.your quality in the last decade, in all five areas. However there are
:01:50. > :01:53.countries not meeting targets for emissions of carbon dioxide, so to
:01:54. > :01:58.help address this, last year the government consulted on a framework
:01:59. > :02:03.which will be consulted shortly. -- published shortly. Following three
:02:04. > :02:08.defeats in the courts for failing to address the 50,000 deaths a year in
:02:09. > :02:11.the country due to poor air quality, and we're the government defended
:02:12. > :02:16.the indefensible, a judge ordered the government to produce and your
:02:17. > :02:20.quality plan by this Monday. Labour believe we need to go further, with
:02:21. > :02:25.any quality national framework as part of the clean air act. What are
:02:26. > :02:29.the main parts of this plan, and how much has the Minister allocated to
:02:30. > :02:35.addressing the UK's poor air quality in the plan? They think it is a
:02:36. > :02:43.great shame that the honourable lady criticises this government, who
:02:44. > :02:46.since 2011 have committed ?2 million to increase the uptake of ultralow
:02:47. > :02:51.emissions vehicles, supported greener transport schemes and set
:02:52. > :02:54.out how we will improve your quality through a new programme of clean air
:02:55. > :03:00.zones. In the Autumn Statement we announced a further ?290 million to
:03:01. > :03:04.support low emission buses and taxis, retrofitting alternative
:03:05. > :03:18.fuels, and we will be consulting on our plans to improve nitrogen oxide
:03:19. > :03:26.emissions very shortly. This is so much pie in the sky. Every time we
:03:27. > :03:32.have DEFRA questions, it is coming soon, when is the report, when are
:03:33. > :03:35.we going to stop people being poisoned in our cities, end Times,
:03:36. > :03:48.in places like Huddersfield, and when will we see action? Now, not
:03:49. > :03:53.next week or next year! This government is totally committed to
:03:54. > :03:56.cutting harmful emissions. We have made great progress in the last
:03:57. > :04:00.decade, which is more than the Labour government did. Emissions
:04:01. > :04:05.went up under their watch. We recognise there is more to do, and
:04:06. > :04:18.we will be publishing our proposals soon. People buying diesel cars
:04:19. > :04:23.thinking they were the cheap way forward, will the Minister make sure
:04:24. > :04:26.she discusses with this Transport Secretary and Secretary, so we do
:04:27. > :04:29.not penalise them and work with the devolved governments as well? We
:04:30. > :04:41.need to find a way forward to look after those people. We have to take
:04:42. > :04:44.into account the impact on ordinary working families, and on businesses,
:04:45. > :04:48.and as the Prime Minister has made very clear, we understand that
:04:49. > :04:52.people bought diesel cars under incentives from the last Labour
:04:53. > :04:57.government, they bought them in good faith and we need to ensure that
:04:58. > :05:04.they are not penalised for those actions. Will the Minister consider
:05:05. > :05:09.a targeted diesel scrappage scheme, which particularly supports
:05:10. > :05:15.low-income families? The opportunity to do so was missed in the Autumn
:05:16. > :05:17.Statement and in the budget. I can assure the honourable lady that the
:05:18. > :05:31.government is looking at all possible
:05:32. > :05:42.areas we need to have mitigation to support families. All types are on
:05:43. > :05:46.the table. Leg we have a very low air pollution quality with all areas
:05:47. > :05:50.in the low pollution band. It is essential that the national
:05:51. > :05:53.framework is nationwide and encompasses Northern Ireland. Could
:05:54. > :05:58.I ask the Minister what discussions she has had with her counterpart in
:05:59. > :06:10.the northern island assembly to make sure it happens? I can assure him we
:06:11. > :06:13.have had discussions with all administrations. -- the Northern
:06:14. > :06:25.Ireland Assembly. We are working closely together and will be making
:06:26. > :06:27.announcements in due course. The Great Repeal Bill will ensure that
:06:28. > :06:33.the body of existing Euro environmental law will have an
:06:34. > :06:37.effect in UK law, but Parliament will have the chance to make sure
:06:38. > :06:42.the legislative framework is outcome driven, focusing on improving the
:06:43. > :06:48.environment in a generation. The government will continue to uphold
:06:49. > :06:50.obligations and international environmental treaties, and we will
:06:51. > :07:02.continue to seek other countries to do so as well. Assuming regulations
:07:03. > :07:09.come in as part of the bill, that is important but at least as important
:07:10. > :07:19.is ensuring the regulations are permanent. The country decided to
:07:20. > :07:22.leave the European Union last year. We're trying to give as much
:07:23. > :07:31.certainty as possible to ensure regulations continue and will
:07:32. > :07:35.continue as a consequence. I'm concerned that he thinks we will
:07:36. > :07:40.simply rip up the rule book. We want a better environment for our future
:07:41. > :07:46.generations, which is what this government will deliver. The
:07:47. > :07:49.Minister knows very well that the EU environmental regulations have been
:07:50. > :07:56.very helpful to people like me and you, Mr Speaker, when holding the
:07:57. > :07:59.feet to the fire of HS2 when it comes to protecting our environment.
:08:00. > :08:05.Could the Minister give me an undertaking that she will not alone
:08:06. > :08:11.any diminution to areas of outstanding natural beauty, and that
:08:12. > :08:17.exiting the European Union does not hand a blank cheque to HS2 to ride
:08:18. > :08:20.roughshod over the countryside? My right honourable friend will be
:08:21. > :08:23.aware that the government has already committed in developing HS2
:08:24. > :08:29.and other infrastructure we will uphold the highest environmental
:08:30. > :08:33.standards we cherish. While she is working on the EU air quality
:08:34. > :08:41.regulations, can I echo the call in the last question for a national
:08:42. > :08:47.framework, rather than ad hoc local decision-making, especially as
:08:48. > :08:52.emissions are actually declining at the moment. Can the Minister looked
:08:53. > :08:56.at all causes of air pollution to properly cost alternatives,
:08:57. > :08:58.especially the cost to drivers on the taxpayer, and urge the
:08:59. > :09:05.government to stop demonising diesel drivers. I think it is fair to say
:09:06. > :09:11.that as we have said at the dispatch box before, when we are tackling
:09:12. > :09:13.with the quality we have to work with local communities, because the
:09:14. > :09:20.situation will vary. This government is not demonising diesel drivers at
:09:21. > :09:23.all. It was the Labour government that introduced incentives for
:09:24. > :09:30.people to start using diesel. It happens to be that the current Mayor
:09:31. > :09:33.of London stood here in his last year of the Brown government saying
:09:34. > :09:42.that Euro standards would solve the problem. We are now clearing up the
:09:43. > :09:47.mess. One of those environmental standards we can improve on outside
:09:48. > :09:53.the European Union as much as inside if the state of the oceans. As the
:09:54. > :09:58.Minister will know, there is a massive amount of dumping of
:09:59. > :10:01.plastics damaging sea life and choral well-being. That is a huge
:10:02. > :10:05.conference in the United Nations tween the fifth on the 9th of June.
:10:06. > :10:09.Ministers will be busy doing other things. What is she going to do to
:10:10. > :10:13.ensure that the British voice is properly heard to ensure we're going
:10:14. > :10:20.to do something to clean up our oceans? My honourable friend will be
:10:21. > :10:24.aware that we launched a litter strategy recently. A lot of rubbish
:10:25. > :10:28.that winds up in marine comes from the land. We need to continue to
:10:29. > :10:32.work on that. Marine conservation is particularly important to this
:10:33. > :10:35.government, we have continued to extend our blue belt around the
:10:36. > :10:39.coastline of the country but also with overseas territories, and I can
:10:40. > :10:44.assure him that the oceans conference between the fifth and 9th
:10:45. > :10:47.of June, he points out there the general election in the middle, but
:10:48. > :10:53.I can assure him the interest of the United Kingdom will be well
:10:54. > :10:58.undertaken. While the Great Repeal Bill may bring short-term stability
:10:59. > :11:02.and working statute book when the UK leads the EU, it remains to be seen
:11:03. > :11:07.whether this government or indeed future governments will take any
:11:08. > :11:11.action to road the UK's environmental policies as they exist
:11:12. > :11:16.now. What assurances can the Minister give to my constituents who
:11:17. > :11:23.have written to me expressing deep concerns over environmental and is
:11:24. > :11:27.post-Brexit? I can continue to try and assure the House that this
:11:28. > :11:30.government has been very clear in the manifesto on which we stood in
:11:31. > :11:34.2015 that we want to be first to leave the environment in a better
:11:35. > :11:40.state than we find it, which is what this government continue to do.
:11:41. > :11:46.Minister Rory Stewart announced in Parliament on the 24th of November
:11:47. > :11:50.2015 that the UK Government will ban lion and trophy imports by the end
:11:51. > :11:59.of 2017. What progress has been made in this regard, and can she tell us
:12:00. > :12:03.what reductions in Trophy hunting in international treaties, after the UK
:12:04. > :12:06.has left the EU? I did not catch the opening of the honourable
:12:07. > :12:12.gentleman's question, when he referred to something from 2015, but
:12:13. > :12:16.I want to assure him that these imports are taken on a case-by-case
:12:17. > :12:19.basis, and we continue to work with other countries to make sure we can
:12:20. > :12:21.serve important species around the world. The UK is a global leader in
:12:22. > :12:34.this. Question number four. With your
:12:35. > :12:38.permission, I will group question for Andrew question seven. The
:12:39. > :12:43.consultation closed on the 28th of February and were currently
:12:44. > :12:46.examining the responses. We intend to introduce legislation this year
:12:47. > :12:49.with a banner manufacturing expected to apply from the 1st of January
:12:50. > :12:59.2018 and a band of sales from the 13th of June 2018 as outlined in our
:13:00. > :13:03.proposals. I strongly support the Government's proposals to ban micro
:13:04. > :13:09.beads in cosmetics and personal care products but they probably only
:13:10. > :13:14.account for about 4% of those polluting our rivers. With the
:13:15. > :13:18.Government say what they are doing to prevent the other types of
:13:19. > :13:22.migrant plastics which are going to continue polluting our waters? The
:13:23. > :13:32.Government wants to consult on the extent of the -- the Government
:13:33. > :13:36.launched a consultation on the extent of the damage micro plastics
:13:37. > :13:41.are causing and we are continuing to look into that. The use of plastic
:13:42. > :13:44.bottles is also something we are looking at but I should remind my
:13:45. > :13:48.right honourable friend that we need to be gathered as we take this
:13:49. > :13:52.forward because a lot of micro beads and plastics are the outcome of
:13:53. > :13:58.things like recycling bodies -- bottles into making fleeces and
:13:59. > :14:03.suchlike. I was recently rummaging through my wife's election of
:14:04. > :14:17.shampoos and to my horror I found a plastic container of anti-wrinkle,
:14:18. > :14:22.anti-ageing lotion. Complete with exfoliating micro beads. Obviously
:14:23. > :14:26.neither the Secretary of State or the Minister would have such need
:14:27. > :14:31.for a abrupt but would she speak to the Chief Executive of Procter and
:14:32. > :14:36.Gamble that telling this sort of product at the moment is complete
:14:37. > :14:44.outrageous and he should withdraw them at once. Well, Mr Speaker, what
:14:45. > :14:48.I find extraordinary is that lady Belling is a flawless picture and
:14:49. > :14:52.wouldn't even need these products, so I am sure that my honourable
:14:53. > :14:59.friend will be buying flowers later today to make up for this. It is
:15:00. > :15:03.fair to say, Mr Speaker, that we are working with manufacturers now and a
:15:04. > :15:07.lot of them are starting to remove these products already, practically,
:15:08. > :15:12.but we want to make sure that this avoidable pollution is taken out of
:15:13. > :15:23.our environment permanently. Number five. Mr Speaker, we regularly meet
:15:24. > :15:27.EU counterparts at agriculture and figure it -- agriculture and
:15:28. > :15:33.fisheries Council and food and drink issues are regularly discussed and
:15:34. > :15:39.informed by bilaterals. The great and noble county of Lincolnshire is
:15:40. > :15:43.the bread basket of England and much of the food we eat comes from our
:15:44. > :15:50.county. Liza Fate has been proved to be harmless by scientists, it is
:15:51. > :15:55.used in the same production of wheat and agreed that we eat. Once we
:15:56. > :15:56.regain control of our destiny, can the minister assure me its use will
:15:57. > :16:21.be reauthorised. As the honourable gentleman knows,
:16:22. > :16:32.the EU are reviewing the use of Glyphosate and it having been proved
:16:33. > :16:50.safe, we are backing its use again. My first question on Defra... This
:16:51. > :16:54.minister has shown since my first question procrastination my children
:16:55. > :17:00.would envy. The minister wants us to believe we can trust him with
:17:01. > :17:03.correcting UK policy. Where is this money? How on earth can Scottish
:17:04. > :17:08.farming trust this Government and the Tories? Well, the honourable
:17:09. > :17:12.gentleman and I have discussed this number of times and he is aware the
:17:13. > :17:17.reason the review we intended to do last year was delayed was because of
:17:18. > :17:21.the referendum, which has changed the context dramatically. We
:17:22. > :17:25.continue to have discussions with Scottish industry. Just yesterday, I
:17:26. > :17:34.met NFU as to discuss feature agriculture policy. What can be done
:17:35. > :17:37.to encourage the European Union to promote the processing of feedstuffs
:17:38. > :17:42.in developing countries, thinking particularly of olive oil and copy
:17:43. > :17:49.where the value added tends to be in the European Union? The UK and
:17:50. > :17:53.indeed a number of other European countries have preferential trade
:17:54. > :17:57.agreements in place to support developing countries, to give them
:17:58. > :18:00.tariff free access to the European market. This is important to the
:18:01. > :18:04.development of some of those countries and the issues he raises
:18:05. > :18:08.are ones that are regularly discussed that the EU agriculture
:18:09. > :18:15.Council. An important part of the food processing sector is the fish
:18:16. > :18:21.area of my constituency and is part of those EU discussions, what
:18:22. > :18:33.efforts will be made to ensure there was no border in the Irish Sea which
:18:34. > :18:38.would stop permitting fishermen from fishing in both parts as they
:18:39. > :18:41.currently can? As the honourable lady knows, there has been an issue
:18:42. > :18:48.with a long-standing agreement between the Irish Parliament and the
:18:49. > :18:53.UK and this was discussed at a couple of weeks ago by myself and
:18:54. > :19:00.administer from the Irish Parliament about arrangements we may have after
:19:01. > :19:03.Brexit? I have the honour of representing a constituency whose
:19:04. > :19:05.farmers feed the country and I would be interested to know, will my
:19:06. > :19:12.honourable friend work to ensure that farmers are not put at a
:19:13. > :19:19.disadvantage with their EU competitors when these exciting new
:19:20. > :19:23.trade deals are negotiated? Well, my honourable friend, she has a very
:19:24. > :19:26.important farming constituency and I know that and what I can reassure
:19:27. > :19:30.her is that I myself worked in the farming industry for ten years, it's
:19:31. > :19:34.an industry I'm passionate about and I've been going up and down the
:19:35. > :19:38.country in recent months, meeting farmers, discussing their concerns,
:19:39. > :19:41.but we have a fantastic opportunity on leaving the European Union to
:19:42. > :19:46.design a new agricultural policy that is fit for purpose. Press
:19:47. > :19:51.reports earlier this week suggest the Danish Government may press for
:19:52. > :19:56.restrictions on UK fish imports to the EU if the Danish fleet this
:19:57. > :20:06.access to UK, mostly Scottish fishing waters when the UK leads the
:20:07. > :20:14.EU. That would have severe impact on Scottish fishermen who export 50% of
:20:15. > :20:18.their fish to the EU each year and can he tell us what discussions he
:20:19. > :20:25.has had a mess? I have regular meetings with all EU counterparts
:20:26. > :20:29.and I believe the Danish minister is planning a visit to the UK in the
:20:30. > :20:32.next few weeks and I hope to meet in them. The honourable lady should not
:20:33. > :20:38.worry about the opening positions people might take in a negotiation.
:20:39. > :20:44.It doesn't matter what people ask for, it matters what the UK
:20:45. > :20:48.Government is willing to grant. The Scottish fishing industry want to
:20:49. > :20:52.leave the EU, they want to leave the CFP, they wanted to take control of
:20:53. > :20:56.our waters. The fishing industry is vitally important to my
:20:57. > :21:03.constituency. Would the Minister update fishes there and around the
:21:04. > :21:06.industry -- around the UK when the Government intends to withdraw from
:21:07. > :21:13.the London 1954 fisheries convention? The honourable lady
:21:14. > :21:16.makes an important point. There is a 1964 London fisheries convention
:21:17. > :21:20.which has access arrangements for a number of countries. As we've made
:21:21. > :21:23.clear on numerous occasions, we are looking at this very closely and as
:21:24. > :21:34.the prime ministers said two weeks ago, we had to say something on this
:21:35. > :21:39.shortly. Number six. Mr Speaker, since 2015, Defra has opened or
:21:40. > :21:45.improved terms for over 160 markets, increasing access to markets is a
:21:46. > :21:50.priority set out in the food and drink international action plan and
:21:51. > :21:56.we work with industry to identify and prioritise and increase export
:21:57. > :22:00.value. In my role as the trade envoy to Nigeria, I have recently invited
:22:01. > :22:04.the Nigerian agriculture Minister to come to the UK. Will he agree with
:22:05. > :22:09.me that it's important to show him the whole of the value change --
:22:10. > :22:14.value train in agriculture in which we do so well question mark I
:22:15. > :22:23.commend the work that my honourable friend does building negotiations
:22:24. > :22:29.with -- building relations with Nigeria, building relationships and
:22:30. > :22:32.I am delighted to hear he has invited the minister here to see
:22:33. > :22:39.some of the great work we do through the supply chain and what we do to
:22:40. > :22:42.reduce waste within it. Does the minister recognise that it's
:22:43. > :22:47.absolutely crucial that the needs of the agricultural sector are placed
:22:48. > :22:49.at the heart of Brexit negotiations? Isn't it clear that if the
:22:50. > :22:53.Government doesn't get its act together, a bad Brexit deal will
:22:54. > :22:57.leave British farmers and food producers facing the double whammy
:22:58. > :23:04.of cheap food imports and tariffs on their exports? I would simply say to
:23:05. > :23:07.the honourable lady that access to the UK market is incredibly
:23:08. > :23:11.important for European countries as well. Whilst we exported around ?11
:23:12. > :23:17.billion worth of food and drink to the European Union, we import some
:23:18. > :23:20.?28 billion worth from the EU. That is why farming unions across the EU
:23:21. > :23:23.are telling their governments that they must have a free-trade
:23:24. > :23:29.agreement with the UK. How does the Government intend to deliver on its
:23:30. > :23:32.promises? The CLA are saying that the Government should admit it
:23:33. > :23:35.cannot design a workable new agricultural policy in less than two
:23:36. > :23:40.years because Debra simply does not have the capacity. The Government's
:23:41. > :23:46.failure to reach an agreement could leave out farmers unable to compete
:23:47. > :23:50.by at home and abroad. Very specifically, what guarantees for
:23:51. > :23:54.the Minister provide here, today, to rural communities right across the
:23:55. > :23:59.country that farming subsidies and tariffs free trade will be
:24:00. > :24:03.guaranteed under a Tory Government? I would simply say festival to the
:24:04. > :24:06.honourable lady that we have some tremendously talented policy
:24:07. > :24:10.officials both in Defra and in our agencies and they have been working
:24:11. > :24:13.very closely on some of the decal behind the design of each
:24:14. > :24:17.agricultural policy on some of those issues. The Prime Minister has been
:24:18. > :24:21.very clear that she will make an offer to other European countries
:24:22. > :24:27.for a bold, ambitious free agricultural agreement. One of the
:24:28. > :24:31.markets that farmers in northern Lincolnshire are hoping to expand on
:24:32. > :24:37.is producing crops for eggs converged on to bio ethanol viewed.
:24:38. > :24:41.They are concerned about the Government's commitment to this.
:24:42. > :24:46.Could you reassure them that if a market for future expansion? We do
:24:47. > :24:51.see a role for bio ethanol fuels but also we are keen to ensure that we
:24:52. > :24:54.don't lose too much good agricultural land to biofuels. The
:24:55. > :24:58.honourable gentleman, my honourable friend, will be aware that this is
:24:59. > :25:01.predominantly an issue for the Department for Transport and I would
:25:02. > :25:08.invite him to raise this issue with them in the next Parliament. Markets
:25:09. > :25:13.are not necessarily just country based but also a product based. The
:25:14. > :25:17.UK has a tremendous market for lactose free milk most of which is
:25:18. > :25:20.imported. What can we do to encourage UK producers to develop
:25:21. > :25:26.this product in the UK, manufactured in the UK? Well, we do have
:25:27. > :25:33.obviously a very strong dairy industry in this country and there
:25:34. > :25:36.are lots of opportunities like that. We have established things like the
:25:37. > :25:39.food innovation networks and things like the aggregate fund and the
:25:40. > :25:42.number of other funds as well to support innovative product
:25:43. > :25:52.development of the sort he mentioned. Number nine, please, Mr
:25:53. > :25:57.Speaker. Mr Speaker, energy prices and exchange rates are the key
:25:58. > :25:59.drivers of price changes in the agriculture commodities market and
:26:00. > :26:03.this affects all countries in the world independent of whether they
:26:04. > :26:08.are in the EU or not. There was a sharp spike in food prices in 2008,
:26:09. > :26:13.they levelled up in 2014 and fell by 7% over the next two years. We have
:26:14. > :26:18.seen an increase of 1.3% over the last year. I thank the Minister for
:26:19. > :26:23.his response but the facts are that the ONS are reporting a surge in
:26:24. > :26:30.food process that is likely to continue to rise. Children are
:26:31. > :26:34.reports -- in food prices that is likely to continue to rise. Children
:26:35. > :26:38.are returning to school after the holidays and the elderly are going
:26:39. > :26:44.into hospital hungry yet the Government still refuse to measure
:26:45. > :26:47.food poverty. Isn't it true that they refuse to measure it because
:26:48. > :26:54.then they would have to accept culpability? The honourable lady is
:26:55. > :26:58.wrong because we do measure it and we include a measurement on
:26:59. > :27:02.household spending among the poorest 20% of households and I can tell you
:27:03. > :27:08.that household spending within those houses has remained steady at about
:27:09. > :27:15.16% for the last decade. On the matter of food, Mr Marcus Fish.
:27:16. > :27:18.Thank you, Mr Speaker. Farmers across the south-west are very proud
:27:19. > :27:25.of the high-quality food they produce whether its beef, lamb,
:27:26. > :27:28.milk, etc. What are the opportunities the Minister sees bus
:27:29. > :27:29.leaving the EU to ensure they get a fair price for that food on an
:27:30. > :27:38.ongoing basis? As he knows, we have recently had a
:27:39. > :27:41.call for evidence and a review of the grocery code adjudicator. There
:27:42. > :27:46.have been representations we should consider extending the remit of that
:27:47. > :27:51.further up the supply chain and we're giving consideration to those
:27:52. > :27:54.representations. But grocery called adjudicator has made a good start
:27:55. > :28:00.improving the relationship, particularly between producers and
:28:01. > :28:05.supermarkets. It is common in food processing plants for 70% of the
:28:06. > :28:09.employees to be EU migrants, and it is not clear where the staff are
:28:10. > :28:12.going to come from in the future. Is the Minister committed to defending
:28:13. > :28:17.this sector in the Brexit negotiations to come, and so
:28:18. > :28:23.avoiding price rises from this as well? I can reassure him I have had
:28:24. > :28:27.regular meetings with food processors, indeed just two days ago
:28:28. > :28:31.I had a meeting with the new president of the food and drink
:28:32. > :28:39.presentation, and this issue was raised. Around 30% of employees,
:28:40. > :28:42.according to the ONS, in the food sector are from other European
:28:43. > :28:46.countries, but I would simply see the Prime Minister has been clear
:28:47. > :28:50.that she wants to protect the rights of EU citizens that are here, and
:28:51. > :28:54.she would expect that to be reciprocated as well, which can be
:28:55. > :28:59.agreed earlier in the negotiations. May I gently remind him again of the
:29:00. > :29:07.paradox that we starve the poor by refusing to buy their food from
:29:08. > :29:11.them? He makes a very good point. As I mentioned in relation to an
:29:12. > :29:19.earlier discussion, we do give preferential trade access to some
:29:20. > :29:22.developing countries. The ACP countries are particularly
:29:23. > :29:31.important, in sectors such as sugar, and this is important for them to
:29:32. > :29:37.develop those industries. My honourable friend is right to raise
:29:38. > :29:43.this issue, but she will recognise we want to get the proposals right
:29:44. > :29:46.and we will consult as soon as we can. With the Minister agree that
:29:47. > :29:54.rigorous enforcement when this policy is in place is one of the
:29:55. > :29:57.most vital elements Western Mark I entirely agree. Robust enforcement
:29:58. > :30:06.is important to ensure the rules are effective. She will recognise police
:30:07. > :30:14.and other agencies do an excellent job in this, and she will also
:30:15. > :30:25.recognise our approach in tackling this is tackling demand, so we can
:30:26. > :30:29.very much enjoyed my visit to her very much enjoyed my visit to her
:30:30. > :30:33.constituency last week. There was a great -- it was a great pleasure to
:30:34. > :30:37.meet some of her growers, including at a farm, to discuss seasonable
:30:38. > :30:45.labour. I am aware of the horticultural sector's concerns. We
:30:46. > :30:54.are consulting with businesses and the advisory committee later this
:30:55. > :30:58.year. Can I thank my right honourable friend very much for
:30:59. > :31:02.coming to Kent and visiting one of my local fruit farms and for
:31:03. > :31:08.listening to the growers who assembled? Particularly during the
:31:09. > :31:12.Easter recess. Could she please give me an update on the discussions she
:31:13. > :31:21.has had with the Home Office about introducing the much-needed
:31:22. > :31:24.agricultural permit scheme? Not only did I visit my honourable friend's
:31:25. > :31:31.constituency, but the honourable member for Maidstone had a lovely K
:31:32. > :31:36.bid day in the county I grew up in. She is right, this is an incredibly
:31:37. > :31:39.important issue, the government has assessed the the need of a pilot
:31:40. > :31:43.scheme for seasonal workers, and decided there is not the evidence
:31:44. > :31:49.that such a thing as needed. The migration advisory committee later
:31:50. > :31:54.this year will seek to get to the bottom of what is needed, and this
:31:55. > :31:57.government is committed to making huge success for the food and
:31:58. > :32:06.farming sector as we leave the EU. farming sector as we leave the EU.
:32:07. > :32:10.Topical questions. As this is the last DEFRA oral questions before the
:32:11. > :32:14.recess, I would like to remind the House of the government's twin
:32:15. > :32:18.ambitions in the farming environment. They are to grow more,
:32:19. > :32:24.sell more and export more British export food -- British food, and for
:32:25. > :32:28.us to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better
:32:29. > :32:32.state than when we found it. Last week we produced the first-ever
:32:33. > :32:36.litter strategy for England and announced a ?10 million grant scheme
:32:37. > :32:41.to distort peak winds. So we look forward to putting our case to the
:32:42. > :32:45.country. What is she doing to support fishermen, and in particular
:32:46. > :32:53.the under ten metres fleet, which is 33 feet in English money. I am glad
:32:54. > :32:56.he can still do the maths. The government has taken a number of
:32:57. > :33:06.measures to make the inshore fleet more economically sustainable. We
:33:07. > :33:10.have taken an unused quota and permanently transferred this to the
:33:11. > :33:14.under ten metres fleet. So we continue to top slice the quota
:33:15. > :33:23.uplift, which is now more than 1000 tonnes, in order to help the under
:33:24. > :33:27.ten metres fleet. Contrary to what the Minister said earlier, recent
:33:28. > :33:31.inflation figures show that food prices are rising at the fastest
:33:32. > :33:37.pace in three years, adding over 21p to be average household shopping
:33:38. > :33:40.bill in the past three months alone. When will the Secretary of State get
:33:41. > :33:47.a grip on the soaring costs of living affecting millions of
:33:48. > :33:53.families? As I pointed out earlier to the question that was raised, we
:33:54. > :33:59.saw the biggest spike in food prices in 2008. Food prices fell by around
:34:00. > :34:03.7% between 2014 and 2016. It is true that they have seen a modest
:34:04. > :34:11.increase over the last 12 months of 1.3%. Rising food prices simply
:34:12. > :34:17.added to the burden on those with little money for food. The Food
:34:18. > :34:24.Standards Agency reported that one in four low-income families struggle
:34:25. > :34:26.to eat regularly and equality and human rights commission have shown
:34:27. > :34:33.that disabled people are more than two times more likely to be living
:34:34. > :34:41.in food property. -- poverty. How long can the Secretary of State
:34:42. > :34:46.refused a -- to publish figures on this? We have always monitored
:34:47. > :34:53.spending on food through the wedding cost survey, and on spending food
:34:54. > :34:56.among the poor list has been stable for over a decade. This government
:34:57. > :35:01.has put more people in employment than ever before, taken more people
:35:02. > :35:07.off benefits and given them an income. That is how you tackle
:35:08. > :35:11.poverty. It is not just the coastal areas of Lincolnshire that are prone
:35:12. > :35:17.to flooding. Whilst the government has invested record amounts in
:35:18. > :35:21.concrete defences, inland areas are also prone to flooding in places
:35:22. > :35:24.like Lincolnshire. What role does the Minister think that flood
:35:25. > :35:31.management control can play in detecting properties and people?
:35:32. > :35:36.Here's right to raise the importance of natural flood management. I saw
:35:37. > :35:41.that myself on a visit to Leicester without monster competition for
:35:42. > :35:48.flood protection. In the right place it can absolutely help. We are
:35:49. > :35:50.investing ?15 million to fund natural flood management schemes
:35:51. > :35:55.across the country, and they will help support many communities from
:35:56. > :36:09.flood risks, and we will continue to build the evidence. Surely the
:36:10. > :36:15.Secretary of State... To prevent shortages in the food and drink
:36:16. > :36:22.industry. We have already addressed the issue of seasonal workers in the
:36:23. > :36:27.agricultural sector. As far as those workers who have already made their
:36:28. > :36:31.lives and work in this country, as the Prime Minister has said, it is
:36:32. > :36:40.her intention to ensure those rights are protected, and make sure the EU
:36:41. > :36:46.reciprocates, so protecting the very valuable contribution that EU
:36:47. > :36:50.citizens make in the UK, and vice versa. In the interest of customer
:36:51. > :36:55.choice and transparency, isn't it time that all halal and kosher meat
:36:56. > :36:59.products are properly labelled that the point of sale? This would
:37:00. > :37:07.benefit those people who want to buy it as well as those who do not want
:37:08. > :37:13.to. I know my honourable friend has been a long-standing campaigner on
:37:14. > :37:16.this. The government is committed to giving consumers as much
:37:17. > :37:20.transparency as possible and to improve labelling wherever we can. I
:37:21. > :37:25.know he understands there are some difficulties and there is no single
:37:26. > :37:29.definition of halal or kosher, which makes compulsory labelling complex.
:37:30. > :37:32.He is aware of European Union -- the European Union has been looking at
:37:33. > :37:41.this, and leaving the EU as an opportunity to look at these issues.
:37:42. > :37:46.The 20 year food plan, the 20 year environment plan, the supposedly
:37:47. > :37:51.environmentally enhancing strategies were supposed to be published before
:37:52. > :37:55.the summer, that is summer 2016. The Secretary of State has failed, has
:37:56. > :38:00.filled farmers, the food industry, and feel to keep our promise. People
:38:01. > :38:06.are now losing their jobs and incomes on her watch. When will
:38:07. > :38:11.these plans see the light of day? She might be aware there was a
:38:12. > :38:14.significant decision taken by the people of the United Kingdom last
:38:15. > :38:19.summer to leave the European Union. We have been very clear about our
:38:20. > :38:23.ambitions to make a huge success of the food and farming sector and to
:38:24. > :38:27.be the first generation that leads iron environment and a better place
:38:28. > :38:32.than when we found it. In terms of our plans, it is essential we can
:38:33. > :38:36.consult with stakeholders who have clear evidence to give us, clear
:38:37. > :38:45.ideas to give us, for a future outside of the EU that is more
:38:46. > :38:48.successful than ever. Further to the honourable member for Gainsborough's
:38:49. > :38:53.question earlier, would she give my constituents that the assurance they
:38:54. > :39:04.need that should the European Commission choose not to follow the
:39:05. > :39:13.recommendation and decide to ban the use of it anyway... The evidence is
:39:14. > :39:17.clear, they believe glyphosate is safe, it has also been in the UK
:39:18. > :39:22.intention to follow them on pesticide decisions, so we support
:39:23. > :39:29.this being authorised again. We will continue to have an evidence -based
:39:30. > :39:37.approach when we leave the EU. We need good science, good technology,
:39:38. > :39:45.good innovation, but what will she do about the fact that one of the
:39:46. > :39:56.leading scientific research bases has been taken over by China? This
:39:57. > :40:02.is another major company that the Chinese government have absorbed.
:40:03. > :40:08.What is she going to do about it? When it comes to pesticide
:40:09. > :40:15.protection, this is an integrated industry around the world, and it is
:40:16. > :40:20.not unusual to have others working within the UK. We have the best in
:40:21. > :40:28.the world, which is why companies choose to locate here. Fly-tipping
:40:29. > :40:31.like the countryside, and often causes real problems for those
:40:32. > :40:36.including farmers, such as in my constituency who have waste dumped
:40:37. > :40:42.on my land. Can he update the House on the steps of government is taking
:40:43. > :40:48.to tackle this? I was delighted we launched the letter strategy on the
:40:49. > :40:54.10th of April for England, seeking to cut ?800 million bill annually
:40:55. > :41:00.for tax players for cleaning up letter. So local councils will be
:41:01. > :41:06.able to fine fly-tipper is. We have also given them the powers to seize
:41:07. > :41:24.vehicles involved in fly-tipping. Integrated processing distribution
:41:25. > :41:29.and packaging systems are used in food plants across the UK and the
:41:30. > :41:34.Republic of Ireland. What assurances can begin to the companies there
:41:35. > :41:40.will be no border restrictions inhabiting the operations after
:41:41. > :41:43.Brexit? The Prime Minister has made clear she wants an ambitious and
:41:44. > :41:47.comprehensive free trade agreement. We are looking closely at the issue
:41:48. > :41:52.of border controls in respect of the border between Northern Ireland and
:41:53. > :41:56.the Irish Republic particularly, but we're talking regularly to industry
:41:57. > :42:00.on this, we have a meeting with some of the other devolved
:42:01. > :42:10.administrations later today, where we will look at these issues. Lamb
:42:11. > :42:14.prices are trading particularly less this year than last year existing.
:42:15. > :42:18.New Zealand lamb comes in in the winter when we have no lambs. There
:42:19. > :42:22.seems to be too much New Zealand lamb in the major retailers and not
:42:23. > :42:25.enough British lamb. I would like the ministers to bring that to the
:42:26. > :42:28.attention of the major retailers that British lamb should now be in
:42:29. > :42:33.the shops, it should not be New Zealand lamb. The honourable
:42:34. > :42:38.gentleman makes an important point. I know that at least, people really
:42:39. > :42:42.want to buy high-quality West Country lamb and Welsh lamb and
:42:43. > :42:48.Scottish lamb, and from every other part of the United Kingdom. I would
:42:49. > :42:51.say, there was an issue this year I believe, in that prices were very
:42:52. > :42:56.good during the winter, which meant a number of sheep producers decided
:42:57. > :42:57.to sell their lamb early, meaning there has been less British lamb
:42:58. > :43:08.available at this time. Will the Secretary of State to be
:43:09. > :43:13.pushing for a total ban on ivory sales in the 2017 manifesto,
:43:14. > :43:21.equivalent to the unrealised pledge in the 2015 manifesto? As I outlined
:43:22. > :43:25.to my honourable friend earlier, we are working very closely on -- very
:43:26. > :43:31.carefully on the proposals and hope to publish a consultation in due
:43:32. > :43:36.course. In the West Midlands, we are seeing a terrible spate of
:43:37. > :43:39.fly-tipping on a commercial scale, including hospital and household
:43:40. > :43:44.waste. Could I ask the Minister seriously to help the farmers with
:43:45. > :43:48.the costs of deterring the serious criminals from dumping these hazards
:43:49. > :43:52.on their land? Mr Speaker, I thank my right honourable friend for that
:43:53. > :43:56.question. We know this is a particular problem at the moment and
:43:57. > :43:59.that's where the Environment Agency is working with councils and farmers
:44:00. > :44:03.in order to try to stop this waste being dumped in the first place. We
:44:04. > :44:09.will continue to pursue waste crime as an urgent issue and friendly
:44:10. > :44:15.those people who to spoil our country side and display last rates
:44:16. > :44:20.deserve a strong sentence but we need the legislation to do that and
:44:21. > :44:24.this can take time. Does the Minister recognise that food
:44:25. > :44:30.processors will need to continue to recruit employees coming to the UK
:44:31. > :44:35.from other EU countries? Yes, absolutely. As I said earlier, the
:44:36. > :44:40.Home Office are looking very closely at what the future needs will be for
:44:41. > :44:45.businesses. We absolutely recognise that businesses in the UK, in order
:44:46. > :44:48.to thrive, will of course need access to some of the brightest and
:44:49. > :44:52.best from around the world and the migration advisory Council and a
:44:53. > :44:57.consultation with businesses will be looking at the needs later this
:44:58. > :45:05.year. Cleaning up the nation's bus fleet is an important point -- part
:45:06. > :45:11.of tackling air quality, but will the Minister agree that smaller
:45:12. > :45:13.companies will need time to adapt, particularly where the smallest
:45:14. > :45:19.vehicles -- the cleanest vehicles are not yet available on the
:45:20. > :45:22.second-hand market? My right honourable friend is correct to
:45:23. > :45:25.point out that we need to work with the industry. The Department for
:45:26. > :45:30.Transport has been working with manufacturers for some time to make
:45:31. > :45:33.the improvements so that, again, as a nation, we can make those
:45:34. > :45:44.technological changes that are important to improving our air
:45:45. > :45:52.quality from vehicle emissions. Questions, Pauline Latham. Number
:45:53. > :45:58.one, sir. I can inform the House that the National Audit Office
:45:59. > :46:01.published an investigation into the Cancer Drugs Fund in 2015. This
:46:02. > :46:08.investigation set up the facts related to the fund in what it had
:46:09. > :46:11.achieved. This followed up on a number of concerns raised during
:46:12. > :46:15.early work on improving cancer services. The investigation found
:46:16. > :46:19.that all parties agreed that the fund was not sustainable in its
:46:20. > :46:21.present format this time and that NHS England was proposing a new
:46:22. > :46:22.arrangement for the