Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions House of Commons

Hello there, good morning, welcome

to BBC Parliament's live coverage

from the House of Commons. In an

hour, the Shadow Foreign Secretary

Emily Thornbury has tabled an urgent

question about President Trump's

decision to recognise Jerusalem as

Israel pot capital and move the US

embassy does -- Israel's capital.

Move the US embassy from Tel Aviv.

Remember to join me for a round-up

of the day at 11 o'clock tonight,

but first we have questions from the

Environment Secretary Michael Gove

and his ministerial team. Hopes for

a happy and peaceful Christmas and

prosperous New Year. We have some of

the highest animal welfare standards

in the world and we in this

Government are making CCTV mad Tory

in slaughterhouses, increasing the

maximum sentences for animal cruelty

to five years, banning the ivory

trade.

The Secretary of State has

done more in months for animals than

in many years previously. We all owe

him a debt of gratitude for that. As

we leave the EU next year and the

customs union and the singles

market, we will make preparations

now to ensure that issues such as

banning live animal imports and

import will be achieved.

My

honourable friend has been a

passionate supporter and campaigner

through the entire career. There are

steps to be made to perhaps ban

exports. It needs be consistent with

our broader objectives as we leave

the EU.

Can I ask the Secretary of

State whether we are in the U or

outside the Eucharist McCann he look

at the importance of labelling so

that people know what they are

buying.

When it says a chicken has

been reared outside, we actually

know what has happened.

The

honourable gentleman is absolutely

right. There is confusion and

uncertainty in the minds of some

consumers. There are schemes already

which our farmer led and ensure that

people know that animals have been

kept to the highest animal welfare

standards and I look forward to

working with him to do so.

As we

prepare to leave the EU, it is vital

that we use Brexit to enhance the

standards. Will you assure me that

the Government will enhance our

welfare laws as we leave, including

in areas where we are blocked from

doing so by single market?

My

honourable friend makes an acute

point, it is in the nature of single

market rules under in European union

that there are some animal husbandry

practices that we would not tolerate

in this country, but do apply to

things that we would import. We do

need to look to see how we can

improve animal welfare standards all

round.

Could you set out the

discussions you have had any with

the Welsh Government? Let me commend

the Welsh Labour minister who is

responsible for these areas in the

Welsh assembly Government for the

constructive ways in which he has

engaged over because of the last six

months and I hope to see her next

week to carry on discussions in this

and other areas.

I very much welcome

the higher standards on welfare,

slaughterhouse cameras and tougher

sentencing, but a point I would like

to make to the Secretary of State,

as we enhance our welfare, we must

also add cost to production. We must

make sure that a high-quality

product is eating by our consumers

and we are not in importing meat

with less good welfare standards.

That is an excellent point. I know

the secretary is conducting an

enquiry at the moment on the impact

of leaving the European Union on

food standards and what is important

there is the viability and

productivity of farmers who do such

a wonderful job.

Thank you for your

response. Bearing in mind that the

Northern Ireland assembly has passed

more stringent and what royalty

legislation than the UK mainland,

can you discuss what discussions you

have had with the Irish Government

about that?

There are many ways in

which Northern Ireland sets higher

standards than we do in the rest of

the UK, I hope to be able to learn a

great deal from every part of the

United Kingdom, not least the

cherished governance which I love so

much. -- cherished province. Only

last night, I was talking with the

Secretary of State to make sure that

we meet the promotion of British

food.

I recently hosted a visit of

the Nigerian Minister of agriculture

to the UK. Does the Secretary of

State except that the UK is leading

in innovation and we have a lot to

offer Nigeria?

Yes. You have done a

fantastic job as trade envoy to one

of the fastest-growing economies in

the world, we can do much together,

it proving the transport between the

two countries.

Surely you realise

that food farming sector is

terrified about the impact of

leaving the European Union? The fact

that there has been no impact

assessment by him or his department

on what will happen to farming and

food in this country is a

disgraceful salt would you agree

with that?

No.

Will the Secretary of

State impress that it is not just

good but also services and join me

in congratulating the British horse

Society on it 70th year, being

invited to add an accreditation

system to riding systems in China.

Yes. My right honourable friend who

did a fantastic job when she was

Secretary of State was le Roux

right. No one else has such an

equestrian history.

Is there anyone

other than the Secretary of State

who thinks that free-trade deal with

Trump's America would be good for

farming and the food chain?

Yes.

As

everyone in this house will know,

the secretary will know very clearly

that Scotland has one of the largest

protected food types like Scotch

beef and salmon. There has been

nothing more spoken of there.

Can I

think the honourable gentleman who

has been a passionate advocate for

Scottish industry in his role and

yes it is the case that we want to

make sure the geographical

indicators and schemes ensure that

high-quality foods from all parts of

the United Kingdom recognised within

Europe and across the world. I want

to make sure that appropriate

schemes exist in the future as well

as ensuring that the markets that we

care so much about our protected.

Mr

Speaker, there are some concerns

about the impact of trawling on

certain species, in particular cod.

I asked people to review this, their

preliminary advice is that while the

impact on the sea bed is lower than

traditional trawling, there are some

detrimental effects on species like

cod. Once that work has been

treated, we will decide what to do

next.

I give that reply. He will be

aware the concerns and south-east

England on the impact of Dutch

electric cost fishing on the stocks

that move across national boundaries

and consequently share. We have a

voice at the table at the moment, we

can influence alongside other more

conservation minded European

countries, policies such as pulse

fishing. How can we exert such an

influence if we leave the European

Union?

Yes. Pulse trawling is

predominantly carried out by Dutch

vessels, around 84. A predominantly

fish in UK waters to catch those

species. The answer to that question

is leaving the European Union, we

will decide the terms of access and

that will give us the clarity and

ability to ban certain approaches if

we wanted to.

The European Union are

currently proposing Draconian

measures on our sea anglers.

Stopping recreational fishing for

half a year. Ridiculous proposals

that should be resisted. Will he

stand up for a recreational sea

anglers?

The situation with Bass is

precarious and that is why I and the

UK Government press for an emergency

measures three years ago. It is

important for the current advice to

be benchmarked to take account of

measures that have been brought in

and we will argue for more

proportional packages.

The key drivers of food price

changes are exchange rates, whether

-- oil prices. This affects

everybody in the world. We assessed

the impact of leaving the yuan

retail food prices to be marginal.

-- of leaving the EU to be...

New

data shows that food prices last

month were over by 4.2% from 12

months earlier. Constituents in

Sheffield Brightside and

Hillsborough will be feeling that

this Christmas. Can the Minister

confirm that analysis has been done

of the food prices and that it is

not one, it is just in his

imagination and if he has published

one, can he tell us when it will

actually be out in the public

domain?

In the 18 month leading up

to the referendum, food prices fell

by 7%, they subsequently have gone

up by 4%. I -- these changes are

fairly typical on food prices and

the reality is that whether you are

inside or outside the EU, those key

drivers of food prices, weather

events, oil prices, remain the same.

What discussions has he held with

the Department and to the trade over

assessing current non-EU tariff

barriers on pig exports?

I am aware

this is important in her

constituency in the UK has a close

relationship with Denmark, Danish

crown in, chill up our major

investors. Since the decision to

leave, they have increased their

investment with the acquisition of

new businesses recently, so we are

in discussions. We have a strong and

vibrant pig sector.

The Minister

said Brexit will not have much

impact on prices, I suggest he

speaks to his former Conservative

colleague, Laura Sandys, who heads

the food foundation, who has said

Brexit could mean an increase in

£150 a year in what the average

family spends on fruit and veg. Will

he make sure in the agricultural

bill, the horticultural sector,

which has been neglected, gets the

priority it deserves?

I studied

horticulture and worked in the

horticultural industry for ten

years, and there is an opportunity

as we design a new agriculture

policy to support innovation in all

sectors, including horticulture.

What about the price of animals for

a live export? Any prospect of

banning that grisly trade

altogether?

As the Secretary of

State pointed out earlier, once we

leave the European Union, banning

the export of live animals certainly

becomes a possibility and we have a

manifesto commitment to restrict

uncontrolled further.

The UK now has

the second-highest rate of food and

security in Europe. In October, food

and drink prices increased faster

than it any other point over the

last four years, and latest figures

show a 13% increase on last year in

the number of emergency food parcels

issues. -- issued. How are they

going to address this shameful

increase in hunger and food poverty

across the country on this

government's watch?

The key

benchmark we have studied for many

years, governments of all colours,

is the living cost of food survey,

and we know that over the last 15 to

20 years, the spending of the

produce 20% of households on food

has remained constant at around

16.5%.

With all due respect I do not

think that answered my question.

Yesterday the Secretary of State for

Brexit admitted there has been no

proper assessment done by ministers

on the impact of Brexit on any UK

economic sector. Food prices are

rising, SWAT assessments has DEFRA

made on the impact on food prices?

-- so, what assessment has DEFRA

made?

The impact is marginal,

economists sometimes make the

mistake of not taking into account

that we have quotas, which means we

have a high degree of tariff free

trade, but also the commodity price

represents only a small part of the

overall value of the shopping

basket.

Veterinarians play a vital

role in public health, and animal

welfare. Only 1% are supplied by

vets from outside the UK, we cherish

their work and make sure -- want to

make sure they still make an

important contribution.

Britain

leads the world in food hygiene and

animal welfare, but that is at risk,

given that the British veterinary

Association reckons that 95% of the

vets in abattoirs are from the EU,

and many of them are leaving. Will

Hughes release the impact assessment

that I am certain he will have

carried out, and tell us what action

he has taken to protect the meat

industry, animal welfare and food

safety from this clear and imminent

threat?

I am grateful for raising

this. More than 90% of vets in

abattoirs come from the EU 27

countries, and it is the case that

my department have been talking to

representatives of the profession to

ensure those who do such a wonderful

job continue to feel valued and play

the important role that they do in

ensuring the public of their high

standards of food hygiene.

Would he

agree that the slaughtering of

animals that takes place in UK

abattoirs overseen by vets, will he

take steps to ensure that the cruel

trade of live animal exports is

ended when we leave the European

Union?

Can I commend him for his

campaigning on this issue, and as we

leave the European Union there are

opportunities as he points out, to

review and change the approach we

take towards live exports and ensure

higher standards of animal welfare.

The common agricultural policy has

been a bureaucratic quagmire which

is undermined us Anfield iron

environment. Leaving the EU allows

us to bring clarity and purpose to

agriculture policy for the first

time in 45 years. We are committed

to introducing the agriculture bill

in this session and outlining

further plans next year.

I am

grateful. Many farmers in my

constituency in Essex supported

Brexit, but some did not. What

reassurances can he give them that

the government is ensuring emerging

food markets are open to them after

Brexit?

We will be working with

colleagues in the Department friend

and I will trade to open new

markets. There are opportunities

particularly in sectors such as

dairy farming. We have also been

very clear we are going to maintain

the budget on agriculture for this

Parliament, that is a manifesto

commitment, and we have also been

clear that we will have a smooth

transition from the policy we have

led to the new policy.

Have you seen

the report on Wednesday from the

farmers union of Wales that says

denying Wales access to the single

market and Customs union would have

catastrophic consequences on farming

in to comment?

I need very regularly

with members for the farmers union

for Wales, and we absolutely

recognise the importance of tariff

free trade with the European Union,

which is why the government has a

clear position that we want a

comprehensive and ambitious

free-trade agreement.

I met with the

Scottish Cabinet Secretary for the

rural economy and connectivity...

Funding was one of a number of

issues discussed. I look forward to

seeing the Scottish Cabinet

Secretary next Thursday, and also

thank you to the intercession for

the Member for Gordon, I am looking

forward to meeting representatives

from the National farmers union of

Scotland as well.

In September, key

farming organisations including the

National Farmers Union Scotland

wrote to you, but they have not

responded. Can you commit made to

giving the farmers the 650 million

they are rightly due?

I understand

the issue of convergence uplifting

is right for the assessment, and I

have discussed the issue with the

Scottish Cabinet Secretary and the

farming union representatives, and

this issue will be raised when we

meet next week.

Thank you. I will

group questions eight and 12. The

resilience of flood defences as

good. In October the Environment

Agency's assessment showed over 95%

were at or above the target

condition, and in Cumbria it was

97.5%. We have prepared the flood

defences that were damaged in the

winter of 2015. There is more to do

across Cumbria, so we have allocated

£50 million extra for flood risk

management schemes.

I'm grateful for

that response. But £800,000 was

pledged for my community in

Braithwaite, which was devastated

with storm Desmond. Two years on,

can she confirmed when the work will

be completed for the village?

She is

right to raise the issue of this

village. I am aware that the short

listing of options is due to be

completed next month with a target

date for the end of 2019. I will

meet her and her colleagues from

Cumbria next week and we can discuss

the details further.

Hard flood

defences like the Foss barrier are

vital for cities like York. It is

essential that the strategy is

equally protect smaller communities.

Can she assure me that community

south of York will not be forgotten

about as progress continues to

develop flood management schemes?

I

can give that assurance. The

long-term plan will use a catchment

approach to flood risk management,

including upper catchment management

changes, which is a key component of

reducing the risk to York and other

communities downstream, but I can

assure him the modelling by the

Environment Agency, and ensures hard

flood defences will not impact on

the communities to which he refers.

It is two years since the floods hit

York, but last week my residents

heard the barriers will be further

delayed and they will not have

protection until at least 2019. What

will the Minister do to ensure the

programme is speeded up and that the

residents in York will be protected

meanwhile?

Since the flooding, when

600 properties were flooded, we have

invested £70 million to upgrade the

Foss barrier, including eight high

volume pumps and we have developed a

five-year plan investing 45 million

in new defences, protecting 2000

properties.

Following the storms and

2015 the government made welcome

direct payments to residents

devastated by flooding. Following

the floods last month, the

government told Lancaster City

Council that this flooding is not

severe enough to offer the same

assistance, despite 143 homes being

vacated due to flood damage. Will

the Minister meet representations to

urge the secretary of the DLC to

make money available for flood

resilience work across the country?

As I indicated, the overall level of

sludge is a clearance cash flood

defence resilience is good,

including Lancashire. I am concerned

about the people who suffered the

shock flooding the other week. I

will meet affected MPs and I know my

honourable friend is seeing me next

week to discuss this matter.

The

Member for Northamptonshire South

put in place a major programme of

work to prepare as for the UK's

departure from the European Union

planning for a number of scenarios,

and we keep the effectiveness of

this work under continual review,

and it is led by members to whom I

pay tribute.

EU rules have prevented

us from improving standards of

animal welfare. Can he assure me

that he is now doing the detailed

work, poor preparation, so that on

day one of freedom, he is ready to

take action, for instance to ban the

trade of the export of live animals.

He makes an excellent point, and the

work is being undertaken no, not

just in the area he rightly alludes

to, but other areas of animal

welfare as well.

By next summer the

UK chemical industry will have spent

£250 million registering their

chemicals. They are united in

wanting to remain in reach and to

avoid EU tariffs of between four and

6% on their goods. So, why is the

Secretary of State proposing to

double their regulatory burden by

setting up a new agency here, and

why has he played politics with our

second largest manufacturing sector?

She has been a consistent champion

of the work being done, and the

world leading. We are seeking to

ensure we combine that a regulatory

framework to ensure we can continue

to do good work.

I think the

honourable gentleman is no

conscious, and he has a question on

the paper which is not entirely an

adjacent to what we're treating?

Would he agree that we have to

continue our support for glyphosate

which protects the environment by

producing the need -- reducing the

need to use other herbicides. Will

he continue to support this safe

herbicide once Brexit has taken

place?

I'm grateful for making that

point. I am delighted that the

outstanding commission for

agriculture has secured a cent for

using this for five more years. --

assent. It is a useful tool to move

towards gaining.

He clearly knows

all the jargon, it has been a very

educational experience this morning.

In the absence of the Northern

Ireland Executive, will the

Secretary of State ensure that he

has discussions with the permanent

Secretary of agriculture in Northern

Ireland to ensure our sector and

there are niche markets will be

protected as we go forward beyond

March 2019?

Absolutely, I am looking

forward to representatives from the

devolved body in Northern Ireland to

come to DEFRA for discussions next

Thursday. Can I also pay tribute to

him and his DUP colleagues that

ensure that me and my ministerial

colleagues are kept up to the mark

with the policies that need to be

shaped regarding farmers and

fishermen in Ireland?

I am delighted at the industrial

strategy white paper that sets out

plans to boost earnings across the

UK and recognises the importance of

the food and drink sector and that

is why we have announced a new food

and drink sector Council as part of

the strategy.

Thank you for your

answer. He will be aware more than

most that my constituency are

thinking that the seafood policy is

less important than the actors to

Labour. What have you spoken to the

Scottish seafood community about

this?

There is no better champion

Dougie Scottish fish -- then the

Scottish fish... Since then, I have

talked to the Home Secretary and the

others and if it were not for you,

we would not have that argument

being had been argued on he is a

brilliant advocate. His constituency

are exceptionally lucky to have him.

The honourable member just waved at

the chair, which might be an hour

just to, if not the same as bobbing.

Thank you, I'm on a learning curve

here. My constituency has a small

stroke brewery and next to it a

Carlsberg plan. Such a juxtaposition

identifies the range of industrial

work in the country.

We all know

that Carlsberg is primarily a

brewer, but if Carlsberg did MPs...

Then the member for Northampton

South would be the premier brand.

Fizzy with a great head, always a

pleasure to spend time with of an

evening, but he is absolutely right.

We need to make sure that not just

major brewers like Carlsberg invest

in this country, but premium,

artisan all brewers.

All the remit

is to congratulate the gentleman on

his acuity, which is a preferred

phrase. No doubt it will be in

evidence at the next questions. We

very much hope so.

The EU withdrawal

bill will ensure that the whole body

will continue to have effect UK law.

My right honourable friend last

month announced that we will be

consulting on the creation and plans

to consult on a new independent

strategy body which will hold bodies

on account to environmental

commitments.

Can I also thank the

Minister for her response. The

Government has boasts that it will

leave the environment and -- in a

better state than it found it. Even

better laws of environmental

protection after we leave the EU are

needed.

I agree with the honourable

Lady. We agree with that and it has

been our manifesto and we will

continue without 25 year environment

plan to be published shortly that we

will continue to set out that agenda

for the next generation.

Finally,

Angela Smith.

We are actively

looking to see what we can do in

this area and leaving the European

Union provides us with opportunities

to deal with illegal trade in

puppies.

Once the EU rules have been

transferred to the UK statute book,

can the Secretary of State confirmed

that the scheme will be reviewed as

a priority and taken into account

the recommendations which has

campaigned tirelessly, as he well

knows now, for a number of years to

get the scheme changed and improved.

It is not just the dog's trust that

is campaigning, it is the honourable

Lady. We need to look to make

announcements before we leave the

European Union about how it should

be improved. Thank you to the 's

trust, of the two dogs in the gof

family house one was from the Dogs

Trust. Let me take this opportunity

to thank the nation's chief

veterinary officer, he moves on from

the Department and the country is

grateful for his service.

The UK's

terrible air pollution is getting

worse and doesn't respect local

authority boundaries. When can we

expect in air quality plan that

makes a real difference, all will be

Secretary of State continued to

shunt the responsibility to councils

who have neither the resources or

the powers to address this

nationwide challenge.

Mr Speaker,

egg quality is improving. I -- air

quality. She is aware of the £90,000

grant given to Ealing Council, but

we are looking at a clean as

strategy for consultation next year.

I have been contacted by

constituents who are concerned about

the new clause 30 of the EU

withdrawal bill which was

interpreted as weakening protection

for animals. However, can you

provide absolute assurances that

this will be the case as we leave

you?

I'm grateful for making this

point, she has been a clear and

consistent advocate for high

standards of animal welfare. It is

absolutely the case that we are

committed to ensuring not just that

we recognise the principle of animal

sentience, but that we provide

appropriate and strongly protected

animal law. We will be bringing

forward shortly the laws for that.

Good to hear you helping the

Woodland Trust. What were you doing

to strengthen protection for ancient

woodland?

Thank you for your work in

this area, he has been a great

champion of the work of the Woodland

Trust. It is the case that I met

with people yesterday and hope to

bring forward plans.

Scottish

distilleries, many of them, are

based on my constituency.

Will you

protect them? I have had the

opportunity, thanks to the

honourable gentleman, to visit one

of the distilleries in his

constituency. I hope to visit many

more. He is a brilliant advocate for

the interests of the Scots whiskey

industry. Single malts have become

incredibly popular. It is only the

work of the people like the

honourable gentleman, the have no

better advocate than the honourable

gentleman.

Because of our rivers are

a risk from unsustainable

abstraction, particularly a problem

in the south and east. When will the

Government actually take action to

tackle unsustainable water

abstraction?

We have been

considering this carefully. I hope

we will be able to make an

announcement within the next month

on the publication of our

abstraction plan and I'm sure he

will enjoy reading it and I will

discuss it with him later.

Cornish

food and drink some of the best in

world, whether it is an dairy

products made in County, or beer.

What conversations are you having

with the Secretary of State for

International Development about the

potential of new market for Cornish

food and drink once we leave the EU?

Thank you for mentioning the world

leading food company and has been

very successful at exporting cream

to the Far East and other markets.

We are in regular discussions, there

are export opportunities for our

great producers.

Different questions

on the 20th of July, the Secretary

of State was asked to confirm that

categorised as articles as sentience

beings. He replied absolutely, given

that he voted against including

article 16, what made him disagree

to observe?

I'm tempted to quote

from the American poet who made the

point that I contain multitudes, but

the truth is that we want to go

further than existing EU law does in

the protection of animal welfare and

there is a better legislative

vehicle and we will make an

announcement on that next week.

I'm

astonished.

The Cats protection

league said that when the UK signed

up to the pet travel scheme we had

to abandon requirements the cat had

compiles the requirement against

tapeworm antics. Can we reinstate

these revelations were merely the

European union? -- tapeworm and

ticks.

The poet was Walt Whitman.

Yes is the short answer.

Can the

Minister given assurance that

post-withdrawal from the European

Union, we will have a clear and

successful route to apply for

schemes?

It is arduous and complex

at the moment. Yes. Only last week

we announced that we would be simple

fine country side stewardship. I

look forward to working with her to

make sure that the farmer she

represents have access to this money

so that she has the cash in her

constituency for the enhancement is

needed.

What about the Government's

decision to ban the ivory trade?

There is an increase in the trade in

relation to Hippo ivory. Only

100,000 hippos are left. May you

extend the ban to other, narwhal,

walrus and the like?

My honourable

friend makes a good point. So far,

the scope of our proposed

legislation is restricted to African

and Asian elephants, however the

consultation is to open, I will take

that as a submission. We are keen to

see what we can do to protect all

endangered to be that the habitats

and this is one way to proceed,

protect it.

Could be Secretary of

State LP has what discussions he is

having with colleagues do it ensure

that they get due recognition post

Brexit and can work in the same

terms as they currently enjoy?

These

discussions are part of our planning

and we want to put in place a very

close partnership with our European

partners and certainly trying to get

agreement on mutual recognition on

some of these qualifications would

be on that agenda.

On leaving the

Yukon of the UK will be able to set

its own farm support policy. -- the

E U.

The honourable gentleman is one

of the most formidable and

knowledgeable gentleman on the Agro

food business in this house and we

need to keep pace in what is

happening in other markets to make

sure we support farmers and support

the work they do. It is thanks to

his advocacy that representatives

will be coming in