Natural Flood Management Programme Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port
and Neston) (Lab) 1. What the locations are of successful
applicants to the natural flood management programme. (902709) The
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Steve
Barclay) Forty projects have been selected to proceed to the
development stage of the £25 million natural flood management
programme. They include a broad range of locations, from Alnmouth
to St Austell....Request free trial
Natural Flood Management Programme
(Ellesmere Port and Neston)
(Lab)
1. What the locations are of successful applicants to the natural
flood management programme. (902709)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
Forty projects have been selected to proceed to the development
stage of the £25 million natural flood management programme. They
include a broad range of locations, from Alnmouth to St
Austell.
I am working with residents in the Chase Way and Kendal Drive
area of Great Sutton, alongside Environment Agency
representatives and members of the local authority, to try to
find a solution to the flooding problems that we have there.
There are lots of different pots of money available at different
times, and sometimes it is difficult to understand what the
realistic chances are of our succeeding in getting the funding
that we need to bridge the gap that we have at the moment to get
the works done. Will it be possible for me to meet with either
the Secretary of State or some of his team to talk about what
realistic funding options we have for the area?
I thank the hon. Member for his engagement, and I will arrange a
meeting with the relevant member of the team. The information is
on gov.uk. Two projects near his constituency—the Cheshire
Wildlife Trust and the Mersey Rivers Trust—are involved in the
programme. I welcome his engagement. It is a good scheme, and I
will ensure that he gets that meeting.
Sir (Hemel Hempstead) (Con)
I have been working with the Environment Agency to address a
small flood problem on the River Gade in my constituency. The
Environment Agency has been very helpful, and has met with me. In
another part of my constituency, the River Ver has been flooded
with sewage yet again. That is unacceptable, and the Environment
Agency needs to take it seriously and take action against the
water companies, rather than just saying, “We'll work with you.”
Action is what my constituents want.
I agree. That is why we are increasing fourfold the number of
inspections, so that water companies are not marking their own
homework. It is why we have the plan for water, introduced by the
former Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for
Suffolk Coastal (Dr Coffey), and significant additional
investment. It is why we are taking tougher enforcement action,
with the biggest ever criminal prosecution of water firms by the
Environment Agency. It is also why we are taking action on things
such as bonuses for companies that commit serious wrongdoing.
Farmers
Sir (Gainsborough) (Con)
2. What steps he is taking to support farmers. (902710)
(Caithness, Sutherland and
Easter Ross) (LD)
5. What steps he is taking to support rural farmers. (902714)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
Food security is more important than ever, which is why we need
to back British farmers to keep putting food on our tables, while
protecting the environment. We are supporting farming with £2.4
billion of annual spending, an average boost of 10% for the
sustainable farming incentive payment scheme, and new rules to
ensure that farmers get a fair price for their products.
Sir
Obviously farmers in low-lying areas of Lincolnshire are
suffering from flooding, so any update on the support that they
can be given would be very helpful. I have a specific question
for the Secretary of State: will the Government update us on when
they will announce the long-term funding solution that they
promised for internal drainage boards, to address the pressure on
local authorities through special levies?
My right hon. Friend is right to focus on the importance of
drainage boards, particularly in Lincolnshire. He knows that I
have a particular constituency interest in the adjacent area. We
have announced £65 million of funding, and the Minister for
water, my hon. Friend the Member for Keighley (), will make further
announcements on that shortly. We are looking more widely at the
huge pressure on farming from the wet weather, particularly in
areas such as Lincolnshire. There has been a 60% increase in
rainfall—these have been our second wettest six months—and we are
looking at a series of easements, particularly with regard to
SFI, to ensure that farmers get their payments.
On behalf of my party, I too wish Phil, the Head Doorkeeper, a
very happy birthday.
As the Government know, we grow the very finest seed potatoes in
the far north of Scotland. They are particularly good because,
relatively speaking, they are virus free. That is probably
because of the northerly latitudes where they are grown. I happen
to know that farmers in Europe are crying out to get hold of
these seed potatoes. I ask the Government to do everything in
their power to ensure that the potatoes go where they are needed
and wanted.
The hon. Member makes a valid point in terms of both the quality
and the desirability of the products to which he refers. The
Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries is engaging actively
with the EU on that specific point, and I am sure that he will
update the hon. Member on it.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Committee.
Sir (Scarborough and Whitby)
(Con)
One has only to look over the hedges of eastern England to agree
with those who are predicting the worst harvest in living memory.
What assessment has the Secretary of State made of the impact
that will have on the wider rural economy—in particular, the
availability and price of straw, which is vital for the livestock
sector, and important commodities such as potatoes, which are
likely to be under great pressure in terms of supply and price
this autumn?
As ever, my right hon. Friend is absolutely on the money in terms
of the concern regarding straw prices and lower harvests this
autumn. We are engaging extensively with the sector. We have the
Farm to Fork summit next week, chaired by the Prime Minister.
That is an indication of how seriously we are taking this, and
how much we are engaging with farmers and farm leaders.
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
It is north-east week in the parliamentary canteens, and I hope
all Members are taking the opportunity to enjoy great
north-eastern produce. However, it is always north-east week in
Grainger Market in Newcastle, which tries to champion local
farmers and produce. What is the Secretary of State doing to
support north-east farmers in the challenges they face to produce
sustainable and affordable food for my constituents facing a cost
of living crisis?
As the MP for North East Cambridgeshire, I feel I should extend
north-east a little wider, given that we are a big food-producing
area. To the hon. Lady's specific point, the Minister for Farming
is engaging with that issue and is travelling up to the
north-east this evening as part of that engagement. Our
colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for Colchester (), is conducting a review of
public sector food procurement, so that within our public sector
we can better procure domestic produce. We also have a review of
labelling so that we can more clearly label that fantastic
produce from the north-east, to ensure that purchasers can buy it
more easily.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Cambridge) (Lab)
What are the Government doing to support farmers? Quite a few
people are asking that. When one looks at the evidence of what is
going on, the survey this week from the National Farmers Union
into farmer confidence revealed that a staggering 65% of farmers
are facing declining profits, or their business will not survive
at all. Their prospects are worse than most Tory MPs, it suddenly
seems. Why is it that farmers do so badly under the
Conservatives?
The hon. Gentleman seems to have written that question before
listening to the various examples that I have just given, but let
me give him one. The most successful scheme the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has ever run is the current
sustainable farming incentive scheme, with over 20,000
applications—more than any other scheme the Department has run.
We have also been flexible in looking at how those schemes are
delivered, given the challenges of the wet weather, and I will
have more to say on that very shortly.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Coatbridge, Chryston and
Bellshill) (SNP)
I listened carefully to that answer. While Brexit has been deeply
damaging to farmers all across the United Kingdom, the actions
taken by the Scottish Government mean that farmers in Scotland
have far greater protection than those elsewhere on these
islands. The SNP Government have guaranteed Scottish farmers the
level of funding that was available pre-Brexit, unlike the Tories
here in England or indeed the Labour party in Wales. That is the
SNP standing up for farmers in words and deeds, unlike the
Westminster parties. Will the Secretary of State take this
opportunity to apologise to farmers in England for his
Government's betrayal of them?
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the £2.4 billion commitment in our
manifesto, which has been met in full.
Tree Planting
(Chipping Barnet)
(Con)
3. What steps his Department is taking to help increase tree
planting. (902712)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
This Government have put in place the most comprehensive regime
ever to increase tree planting. Crucially, it is underpinned by
legislation in the Environment Act 2021 and legally binding
targets to increase our tree cover to 16.5%, and supported and
backed up by our £675 million nature for climate fund. To date,
15 million trees have been planted under this Government, more
trees than in any other decade.
Trees must play a crucial role if we are to meet our commitments
on nature recovery and net zero, and they are a tremendous source
of happiness, well-being and landscape beauty. To meet the
ambitious tree-planting goals that the Government have set, can
they streamline the permissions process? Some of the red tape
seems disproportionate and in need of regulatory reform.
I thank my right hon. Friend for the work she has done in her
constituency to encourage tree planting, but she is right that
the process needs to be fast and simple. We have taken that on
board, and the Forestry Commission has recently introduced the
woodland creation fast track, aiming to help to decide eligible
woodland creation offers within just 12 weeks. To inform that
scheme, it has developed a low-sensitivity map of the whole
country to show people the best places to plant trees, or where
they could think about planting trees, that are not on our best
available agricultural land, which is important for food.
(Barnsley Central) (Lab)
Led by the Woodland Trust, Tree Equity Score UK is a map-based
application created to address disparities in urban tree
distribution by identifying the areas in greatest need of
investment in trees. What is the Department doing to promote
increased tree cover in the parts of the country that need it
most?
I highlight again the low-sensitivity map, which points out
exactly the same things as the map the hon. Gentleman refers to.
We have many funds focused in particular on urban areas—some come
from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities —to
encourage urban tree planting, because it is so important for our
health and wellbeing. We have a whole list of funds available,
and I urge people to look at them and plant trees.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
Mr (Chesterfield) (Lab)
I have to say that the Minister's response suggests that the
Government are completely in denial. The Office for Environmental
Protection report exposed that the Government are way off target
on their legally binding tree-planting target. There has been no
trend of improvement on tree planting between 2018 and 2023. It
would be bad enough if the problem were lack of money, but her
Department is even failing to spend the money that it has been
allocated. The environmental land management scheme is underspent
by hundreds of millions, and the nature for climate fund that she
spoke about has returned £77 million to the Treasury unspent. Is
not it clear that, to get the tree cover that our country needs,
we do not need a magic money tree; we need a Labour
Government?
I ask the hon. Gentleman to look at his own tree-planting record.
This Government have planted more trees than Labour did. We now
have the plan in place so, if one looks at the graph, it is
ramping up to hit those targets, and the training, skills, the
forest apprenticeship and the framework are in place to reach our
targets.
Coastal Defences
(Waveney) (Con)
4. What steps his Department is taking to strengthen coastal
defences. (902713)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
We are investing approximately £1.3 billion of our £5.6 billion
flood and coastal risk management investment programme in coastal
projects. They will better protect over 100,000 properties, as
well as critical infrastructure. The Environment Agency is also
running the £36 million Government-funded coastal transition
accelerator programme, which is funding coastal authorities so
they can explore how to better support their communities.
The East Anglian coast has taken a real battering in recent
months, and projects such as the Lowestoft flood defence scheme
have been delayed. Our region is the most vulnerable to climate
change, and is a lead player in delivering net zero for the UK,
so will my hon. Friend consider a climate change risk assessment
on which a regional coast defence strategy can then be prepared
to properly protect homes, businesses, ports, farmland and
infrastructure, as well as nurture our unique coastal
environment?
There is no better champion than my hon. Friend on the challenge
of coastal erosion. The Environment Agency is developing a new
national flood risk assessment and an updated coastal erosion
risk map to improve how we access flood risk information and
communicate it to our communities. Those new datasets and maps
will include the potential impact of climate change on flood risk
and coastal erosion, and will help to inform how we better
protect homes, businesses, farmland and infrastructure along our
coastal communities.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Kingston upon Hull West and
Hessle) (Lab)
We learned from the Public Accounts Committee report that 500
flood defence projects have been cancelled, just like the one in
Lowestoft. Whether the Minister chooses to use the words
“cancelled,” “deferred,” “delayed” or “on a long list” makes no
difference, because he is still refusing to tell us where those
projects are. Why does he insist on holding residents in contempt
by not telling them the fate of their local flood defences?
I and my officials have been reviewing the applications that have
been put forward, and announcements will be coming very soon. The
Government are investing £1.3 billion in flood defences, which is
more than ever before, and we will continue to ensure that we are
better protecting coastal communities.
Catchment Partnerships: Funding
Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal) (Con)
6. How much funding his Department plans to provide for catchment
partnerships in the 2024-25 financial year. (902715)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
One hundred catchment-based approach partnerships are set out in
the plan for water. The catchment-based approach is exactly the
right one— I agree with the decision taken by my right hon.
Friend on that—and is exactly the approach that we are taking. In
the financial year, £15,000 is allocated to each catchment for
that.
Dr Coffey
I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. The plan for water
is starting to work in relation to community partnerships: next
week, the East Suffolk Catchments Partnership will publish the
plan for the River Deben. However, could I encourage my right
hon. Friend to try to accelerate some of those partnerships,
potentially by increasing the funding from £15,000 per
partnership to £50,000, so that every single partnership can have
a full-time employee to really drive this action forward?
I very much agree with my right hon. Friend. What we are doing is
twofold. First, we are increasing funding: she will have seen
that, yesterday, we announced an uplift of £11.5 million for
local community-led projects to improve river catchments.
Alongside that, we are looking at some major interventions in
catchments, such as on the River Wye, where we allocated £35
million. We are taking a targeted approach to catchment-specific
issues; in that catchment, the issue was chicken litter. The
phosphate was going into the River Wye, so we are funding
anaerobic digesters as a targeted way of taking a catchment
approach.
(Brentford and Isleworth)
(Lab)
Sewage has been discharged into our rivers for 3.6 million hours,
including the River Thames in my constituency. Funding is only
part of cleaning up this mess: the whole water sector is broken
and needs to be put into special measures, so what is the
Secretary of State's long-term plan for tackling these issues, or
is he content to keep following Labour's lead and to take up our
policies?
The first thing I would mention is the £4.5 billion of investment
in the Thames tideway tunnel over the past eight years, which is
going to significantly improve the water quality of the River
Thames. Alongside that, we are stepping up inspections, with a
fourfold increase in inspections; we are tackling bonuses in
companies that are guilty of pollution; and we are taking much
tougher enforcement action, with the biggest ever prosecution of
water firms by the Environment Agency. A whole range of actions,
coupled with the plan for water, is bringing additional
investment into the sector and taking a catchment by catchment
approach.
Air Quality
(Loughborough) (Con)
7. What recent progress his Department has made on improving air
quality. (902716)
(Twickenham) (LD)
15. What steps his Department is taking to help reduce air
pollution. (902726)
The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries (Sir )
We are driving down emissions and concentrations of the most
harmful air pollutants, reducing their impact on public health
and the environment. Through the Environment Act 2021, we
introduced further legal targets for fine particulate matter. We
have allocated £883 million to support local authorities, and air
pollution has fallen significantly since 2010, with emissions of
nitrogen oxide down by 48%, PM2.5 down by 24%, and sulphur
dioxide down by 74%.
Given that incinerator capacity far outweighs waste, I welcome
the Government's decision to introduce a short-term pause in the
determination of applications for environmental permits for
certain types of waste incineration facilities. Will the Minister
please now extend that pause beyond its current official end date
of 24 May and include existing incinerators that have applied to
increase their capacity?
Sir
I am grateful for my hon. Friend's question. Our assessment of
incineration capacity and needs is ongoing—I do not want to
prejudge the outcome of that work or any of the next steps—but
the Government are clear that proposed waste incineration
facilities must not result in overcapacity or compromise our
ambitions to minimise waste and improve recycling.
Last month, my local authority of Richmond upon Thames, along
with other councils, was informed by DEFRA that its local air
quality grant of £1 million—which had been awarded just two
months earlier—was being rescinded. Given the number of areas in
Twickenham breaching air quality standards, including areas close
to schools, and with World Health Organisation targets becoming
ever more stringent, how does the Minister think he is meeting
his commitment to “expand the resources available to councils to
improve air quality”?
Sir
I am grateful for the hon. Lady's question, which gives us the
opportunity to highlight the great progress we are making in this
area. We want to continue to make progress and support local
authorities, but we did have concerns that the local air quality
scheme was not delivering the most positive outcomes, and some of
the bids that were coming forward were not aimed at improving air
quality: we had bids for a robotic chatbot and for a kinetic art
project. We want to focus on improving air quality and make sure
we are funding local authorities to do just that.
Serious Dog Injuries Register: Dog Groomers
(North Norfolk) (Con)
8. If he will take steps to implement a dog groomers charter mark
that includes a register of serious injuries for dogs.
(902718)
The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries (Sir )
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, groomers must protect dogs
under their control from harm and provide for their welfare
needs. Where that Act is breached, offenders face imprisonment or
an unlimited fine. As the legislation is already clear, we do not
have any plans at the moment to implement a charter.
A constituent recently brought quite a distressing case to my
office. A routine trip to the dog groomer's turned into a
disaster for her beloved pet. The dog was seriously injured due
to the groomer using incorrect equipment, resulting in painful
lacerations, multiple veterinary visits and permanent scarring.
Unfortunately, that is not an isolated case. I am aware that, as
the Minister says, the Animal Welfare Act provides some framework
in relation to intentional harm, but I am amazed at the lack of
regulation in the industry. Will the Minister make an assessment
of what further legislative steps can be taken to regulate the
dog grooming industry and ensure the safety of all dogs?
Sir
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this case, and
obviously I sympathise with his constituent whose pet suffered
that poor practice. The Government's belief in the importance of
animal welfare underpins the strong protections included in the
Animal Welfare Act, and we will take steps to address widespread
welfare issues where they arise.
Waste Incineration Plant Capacity
(North West Norfolk) (Con)
9. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) operational
and (b) consented waste incineration plant capacity.(902719)
The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries (Sir )
Officials are currently assessing planned residual waste
treatment capacity, including incineration, against expected
future residual waste arising in England, so that we can
understand our future capacity needs following the implementation
of key commitments in the resources and waste strategy. This
capacity assessment will be published in due course.
My North West Norfolk constituents welcome the moratorium on new
waste incinerators and the review, but given that the
incinerators already operating and those with consent provide
enough capacity as we meet legally binding targets to halve
residual waste, may I urge the Minister to make that temporary
pause permanent so that we do not have to have an unnecessary and
unwanted incinerator in Wisbech?
Sir
DEFRA officials are currently scoping the need for a review of
the role of waste incineration facilities, and I do not want to
prejudge the conclusions of that exercise. The current pause
period will end on 24 May, and the next steps will be announced
no later than that date.
Animal Welfare
(Crawley) (Con)
10. What steps his Department is taking to help improve animal
welfare.(902720)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
This Government remain absolutely committed to implementing our
action plan for animal welfare. Since the action plan was
published in 2021, we have made significant progress on a whole
raft of animal welfare measures, such as introducing tougher
sentences on animal cruelty and new laws on animal sentience,
bringing forward legislation to ban live exports and keeping
primates as pets, launching the animal health and welfare
pathway, ensuring the microchipping of cats, and backing critical
legislation to crack down on puppy smuggling, pet abduction and
livestock worrying.
I am grateful for that answer and, indeed, for all the animal
welfare measures that this Government have introduced. Recently,
pupils in Larch class at Three Bridges Primary School wrote to me
very eloquently about their concern for the welfare and
protection of endangered species. Can the Minister say a little
more about what her Department is doing in that respect?
I thank my hon. Friend for that question, and indeed for his own
work on animal welfare in this place, which has been impressive.
I also thank the pupils of Larch class at Three Bridges Primary
School. He can go back and tell them that this Government are
absolutely committed to tackling this and to helping endangered
species. We are actually the first Government to legislate to
halt species decline in this country—as far as I know, no other
country has done that anywhere in the world—and we have funds to
save species. They might also like to hear about otters returning
to our rivers, about saving red kites by protecting them from
persecution, about saving the chalk hill blue butterfly and
more.
Fly-tipping
(South Basildon and East
Thurrock) (Con)
11. What steps his Department is taking to support local
authorities to tackle fly-tipping.(902721)
(Uxbridge and South
Ruislip) (Con)
12. What steps his Department is taking to support local
authorities to tackle fly-tipping.(902722)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
Nationally, fly-tipping on public land has fallen for the second
year in a row, with enforcement actions up by 5%, but we all know
the huge detrimental impact that fly-tipping can have on our
communities. Fly-tipping fines have more than doubled, and we are
now expecting local authorities to reinvest that income in
enforcement and cleaning up our streets. We are going further
with reforms on how waste carriers are regulated, with the
introduction of digital waste tracking to help local authorities
continue to crack down on waste crime.
I thank my hon. Friend for his answer. What landowners and the
public want is for this to stop. I realise that we have doubled
the fines—we have massively increased them again—but may I
suggest that all cases should be prosecuted and that prosecutions
should be publicised widely, both to reassure victims and to
deter perpetrators?
I could not agree more; promoting the convictions absolutely
reassures victims that the Government and local authorities are
taking tough action. I know that my hon. Friend has particular
concerns about what is happening across the countryside, and
DEFRA is funding the national rural crime unit to explore the
police's role in tackling fly-tipping and how that can be
optimised, working with local authorities to deal with this
crime.
Fly-tipping is a concern for many local residents across Uxbridge
and South Ruislip. I would like to pay tribute to Mary in
Yiewsley, Bernie in South Ruislip, Wendy in Cowley and Donna from
Ruislip Gardens, who all act as community champions in reporting
regular fly-tipping. I also need to mention the waste service
team at Hillingdon Council, who work tirelessly in responding to
regular cases of fly-tipping. However, all of this great work
from residents and the council can only go so far, so what
further funding and support is available specifically to target
fly-tipping hotspots?
We have provided nearly £1.2 million to help local authorities
combat fly-tipping, and our grants are focused on hotspots where
they have funded around 200 CCTV cameras, plus other
infrastructure including fencing, signage and mobile tips. A
further £1 million is due to be released shortly, which will help
further tackle these hotspots. I pay tribute to Mary, Wendy and
all my hon. Friend's constituents who are getting involved in
helping him.
Topical Questions
Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal) (Con)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.(902742)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
()
Since last updating the House, we have remained focused on
delivering our plan to improve food security, on improving our
water quality, and on leading the way, both at home and abroad,
in protecting the environment. That is why we are introducing
legislation to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing
plastic. It is why we have launched, as part of our catchment
plan, the £35 million scheme on the River Wye, further to our
announcement yesterday of £11.5 million in water company fines
and penalties to be reinvested in water restoration schemes. We
are working on Dartmoor to implement the very good
recommendations set out in David Fursdon's report, and we have
seen over 20,000 farmers now sign up to the sustainable farming
incentive, making it the most popular scheme ever. Alongside
that, we are working at the G7, on bluetongue virus and in many
other respects, but I can see, Mr Speaker, that you want me to
speed up my reply.
Mr Speaker
I want to get your colleagues in. I call Thérèse Coffey.
Dr Coffey
The Environment Act 2021 was landmark legislation, and we of
course need to think not only locally but globally. One element
of that legislation was the introduction of forest risk commodity
regulations. I would be grateful if my right hon. Friend said
what more we can do through our global supply chain measures.
My right hon. Friend is right to focus on forest risk
commodities: our flagship announcement at COP28 was that we were
taking leading action on that. Many who have watched nature
documentaries, for example on the orangutans, can see how
important that is to particular species. I hope to table
legislation on that later this month, but my right hon. Friend is
right to focus on its importance.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Croydon North) (Lab/Co-op)
The environmental regulator has today condemned the disgusting
state of our waterways caused by the Conservatives letting water
companies pump them full of raw sewage. This has to stop, so will
the Government now back Labour's plan and make water bosses
personally criminally liable, so that if they keep illegally
dumping sewage, they end up in the dock?
We already have the biggest ever prosecution by the Environment
Agency, which is already live. We have also already banned
bonuses for those companies guilty of serious pollution. We are
quadrupling the number of inspections as part of that tougher
enforcement scheme. We are also bringing record investment into
the water industry. The hon. Gentleman never comments on the
quality of water in Wales, but perhaps he will want to address
that in his follow-up question.
Mr Speaker
We will try Lincolnshire: I call Sir .
Sir (Gainsborough) (Con)
T2. In response to my earlier question, the Secretary of State
said that food security was of urgent national concern. Has any
Agriculture Minister ever met a farmer who has denied that 3b
land is just as good for growing arable crops as 3a
land?(902743)
My right hon. Friend the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries
is extremely well placed to speak about the quality of land and
how it pays, given that he himself farms. We recognise that this
is part of a wider debate about the clustering of solar sites on
farm- land. We also recognise the importance of food security. My
right hon. Friend the Member for Gainsborough (Sir ) can see the shift in focus to
our environmental schemes that align with food security, because
I believe that food security is instrumental to our national
security, and that also affects our land use.
(Liverpool, West Derby)
(Lab)
T3. An Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee report
published last year recommended that we support the request of
the United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food to
undertake a country visit to the UK before the end of 2023. The
Government initially indicated that they would facilitate that,
but the Minister's latest correspondence to me states that it
will not be feasible to invite the special rapporteur this year.
Why is that not feasible before the general election? The UN is
ready and waiting.(902744)
I am happy to look at the specific issue that the hon. Gentleman
raises in relation to the UN, but we are clear about the
importance of food production, food security and backing our
farmers. It is left-wing councils around the country that are
banning meat and acting contrary to the interests of many of our
farmers.
(Loughborough) (Con)
T5. What can be done to improve compensation payments for cattle
farmers following a TB outbreak?(902748)
The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries (Sir )
We are constantly working with those farmers facing the misery of
a TB outbreak. I am aware of an outbreak in my hon. Friend's
constituency in Leicestershire, which is very painful for the
individual farmers concerned. That is why we must throw
everything we can at this terrible disease—every tool in the
toolbox—to try to stop TB spreading across England.
(Rochdale) (WPB)
T6. I am so old that I grew up in a land without plastic; a
better Britain wrapped in brown paper and string. Last year, our
households on this small island handled 90,000 million tonnes of
plastic. It is indestructible—it cannot be burned and we cannot
get rid of it. Will the Minister support the global plastics
treaty campaigned for by Greenpeace and others?(902749)
This Government are taking action on plastics. Let me give the
hon. Gentleman a specific example: there has been a 93% reduction
in the use of plastic bags as a result of measures that this
Government have introduced. If he looks at the communiqué from
the G7 in Turin, he will see that the Government were supporting
action on plastics, building on the work announced from Ottawa
last week.
(St Austell and Newquay)
(Con)
Many communities in my constituency face the double whammy of
coastal tidal flooding and fluvial river flooding. We have seen
significant investment in places such as Par and St Blazey
through the StARR project—St Austell Bay Resilient
Regeneration—which the Minister has been to see. We have recently
completed flood defences at Pentewan, but the village of Mawgan
Porth remains vulnerable to both river and coastal flooding, and
I cannot get any real progress in developing a scheme to reduce
flood risk there. Will the Minister meet me to look at what we
can do to protect Mawgan Porth?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
Having been to Cornwall to meet my hon. Friend and see the StARR
project for myself, I am more than happy to meet to discuss what
more we can do, because I know that he and his colleagues on the
local council are championing this scheme as much as they can,
and I am more than happy to help.
(City of Chester) (Lab)
The sun may be shining today, but it has been a long, cold, wet
spring for our farmers. Given the prediction that 17% of crops
will be lost, what assessment has the Secretary of State made of
the number of farming businesses that will reluctantly stop
producing food? How will he ensure that the farmers flood fund
reaches all the farmers who desperately need it?
The hon. Lady raises an extremely valid point, and it is a shared
concern across the House. Everyone can see the impact of the wet
weather. That is why we are continually engaging with the sector.
We had the farm to fork summit as part of that engagement, and we
are looking at what easements can be granted in schemes such as
the sustainable farming incentive, but also more widely. I will
have more to say on that shortly.
(Southport) (Con)
Southport has seen millions of pounds of investment into drainage
capacity for water, but unfortunately the villages of Tarleton,
Hesketh Bank and Banks have not. These farming communities have
been devastated by flooding. The Minister for Food, Farming and
Fisheries met me and my hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble
() last year, which was
appreciated by farmers, but more needs to be done. A report has
been submitted to the Department. We want to set up an internal
drainage board. What more can be done to make sure that is done
at pace to help these communities?
As I touched on earlier, I am a huge supporter of the work of our
internal drainage boards. They do a superb job, which is why the
Minister for Water and Rural Growth, my hon. Friend the Member
for Keighley (), decided to allocate an
additional £75 million. We will look constructively at what more
can be done in more areas through the focus of drainage boards.
My hon. Friend will have seen that we have already flexed our
regulations in response to Storm Henk, for example, and we are
looking at what further things we can do.
(Angus) (SNP)
Brexit has been a disaster for farmers across the United Kingdom,
but at least in Scotland they have the certainty of funding going
out beyond 2027, unlike in Labour-run Wales and Tory-run England.
What steps will the Government take to provide the same level of
surety for English farmers that the SNP has delivered for
Scotland's farmers?
As a former Chief Secretary to the Treasury, I think the
suggestion that the way the SNP allocates its Barnett
consequentials gives farmers funding certainty is a somewhat bold
claim. The point with Brexit is that we can tailor our response
to the needs of our farmers, whether through specific legislation
such as that on gene editing to develop disease and
drought-resistant crops, our procurement legislation so that we
better leverage our public sector procurement and our labelling
legislation so that we can support British producers, as well as
through schemes such as the SFI, which is the most popular ever
run by DEFRA, with more than 20,000 farmers now signed up.
(Cheadle) (Con)
In the past, flooding from the Lady brook and Micker brook, which
run through Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme and Cheadle to join the River
Mersey, has caused devastation to homes and families. Does my
hon. Friend agree that joint working across the region is part of
the solution? Will he continue his support for the upper Mersey
catchment partnership working?
My hon. Friend has raised that specific case with me before. I am
more than happy to meet her to have those conversations at speed,
because I know just how valuable projects such as flood
alleviation schemes are to her constituents in better protecting
more homes.
(North West Leicestershire)
(Ind)
North West Leicestershire has benefited enormously from being the
heart of the national forest, with millions of trees planted over
the past 40 years, much of which are on degraded former colliery
land. As desirable as tree planting is, that must be balanced
against food security. Does the Minister agree that good
agricultural land must be protected to produce good food?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs ()
I must first commend the national forest for all that it has
achieved. Many farmers are involved in that forest, too. That is
why the Forestry Commission's map showing the best places for
tree planting is so important, and that is not on what we call
best available land, for which we have specified that the main
priority is food production.
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