Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
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Thursday Volume 525 17 March 2011 No. 134 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 17 March 2011 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2011 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through The National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/parliamentary-licence-information.htm Enquiries to The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 457 17 MARCH 2011 458 Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab): The uplands House of Commons review obviously came out of the excellent report produced by the Commission for Rural Communities last summer. Thursday 17 March 2011 Will the Secretary of State explain why she has attempted to frustrate the clearly expressed will of the other place by cutting the CRC’s budget by some 90%? The House met at half-past Ten o’clock Mrs Spelman: It is not a question of frustrating the PRAYERS will of the other place. There has been a change of Government, and the two parties that together form the Government have Members of Parliament who mostly [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] have rural constituencies. It is thus easier for us to champion rural causes, as in our uplands policy review. The hon. Lady’s Government had 13 years in which to Oral Answers to Questions do something about the uplands, but it has taken a change of Government to achieve that. Pig Farming ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS 2. Dr Daniel Poulter (Central Suffolk and North The Secretary of State was asked— Ipswich) (Con): What recent representations she has received on the profitability of the pig farming sector. Uplands Policy Review [47194] 1. Miss Anne McIntosh (Thirsk and Malton) (Con): The Minister of State, Department for Environment, What representations she has received on the report of Food and Rural Affairs (Mr James Paice): The Secretary of State and I discussed the difficulties faced by the the uplands policy review. [47193] pig industry with representatives of the National Pig The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Association and the British Pig Executive two weeks Rural Affairs (Mrs Caroline Spelman): I begin by informing ago. I am very much aware of the high cost of feedstuffs the House that I have written to the Japanese Environment and the problems that it is creating, causing serious Minister, Mr Matsumoto, with whom I spent a great losses for pig producers. deal of time negotiating in Nagoya, to express our sincerest condolences. As the House would expect, I Dr Poulter: I am sure the Minister is aware that, have also offered the services of my Department in according to the National Farmers Union, over the past respect of technical expertise on flood recovery, air and three years pig producers have been losing £20 per pig, water quality and radiological decontamination. whereas at the same time retailers have still been making I thank my hon. Friend and the Select Committee on £100 profit per pig. May I call on him and the Department Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which she chairs, to take some action and put pressure on retailers to give for highlighting the importance of the uplands. I have our pig producers a fair price for their pigs? received numerous positive reactions from a wide range of stakeholders to the conclusions of the uplands policy Mr Paice: I understand my hon. Friend’s point entirely. review, which I announced last week. It is incumbent on any retailer that is concerned about ensuring that it can supply British pigmeat not just this Miss McIntosh: May I share in the Secretary of State’s year but in years to come to do what it can to ensure expression of condolences and thank her for writing to that our industry can continue through this difficult offer the services of her Department? I also thank her period. I am sure that prices will recover at some stage, for her answer. but it is down to the retailers to ensure that their The uplands are the jewel in our farming crown, but long-term supply chain interests come through into the the continuation of active farming needs to be encouraged, practices they follow today. particularly the keeping of livestock. My right hon. Friend will be aware of the difficulties that tenant Natascha Engel (North East Derbyshire) (Lab): Will farmers are currently suffering. Will she come up with the right hon. Gentleman outline what particular help some positive measures in the policy review to encourage he is giving pig farmers at a time when not only are feed them to maintain livestock in the uplands? prices very high but oil costs are rising? That is increasing the price of pig farming to breaking point. Mrs Spelman: We feel very strongly about the value and potential of our uplands, which have been overlooked Mr Paice: As I am sure the hon. Lady is aware, pig for too long. That is why, as a new Government, we farming has largely been outside any Government have prioritised our review of uplands policy.Our intention involvement for many years now. Pig farmers have not is to support and encourage all hill farmers to become received any form of payment or subsidy for many more competitive, and we have made available up to decades, and that is the right way to go. I trust that she £6 million a year more for environmental stewardship is not suggesting that we reverse that approach. She is schemes. When I launched the review, I impressed on quite right that energy prices are a major problem landowners that they should be constructive when they across all of agriculture. All that I can offer is the rural receive requests from tenants to participate in such development programme, through which we can provide schemes. assistance for businesses that wish to invest. 459 Oral Answers17 MARCH 2011 Oral Answers 460 Mr Richard Bacon (South Norfolk) (Con): Does my Dr Whiteford: I hope the Minister shares my outrage right hon. Friend think that customers of Tesco and at the 150,000 tonnes of mackerel that the Faroese have other supermarkets would be surprised if they understood subsequently unilaterally awarded themselves as a quota the disgusting animal welfare practices that those for mackerel for next year, and I know he shares my supermarkets support by importing meat produced under concerns about the jobs that will be affected by that, such poor animal welfare conditions? Is not the answer both in my constituency and in other pelagic areas. As a for British consumers to go to supermarkets such as matter of urgency, will he meet the Scottish Pelagic Morrisons, which has a 100% British meat policy? Fishermen’s Association and other key UK stakeholders to discuss this matter further? Mr Paice: I am sure that consumers have heard what my hon. Friend says without me getting into an internecine Richard Benyon: I recently met stakeholders and war between retailers. What really matters is that the raised the matter this week—yesterday, in fact—with consumer is properly informed of the benefits of buying Commissioner Damanaki, when I gave support to her British pigmeat. That is why the Government are keen, strong call for measures to be taken against the Faroese as he is, on country of origin labelling. and neighbouring states that cause so much damage to a sustainable stock. The problems that the hon. Lady’s Sky Lanterns constituents and others around our coast face are very much our priorities, and we will continue to support 3. Simon Hart (Carmarthen West and South strong measures to deal with them. Pembrokeshire) (Con): What representations she has received on the effects of the use of sky lanterns on Fish Discards livestock and livestock feed. [47195] 5. Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con): What The Minister of State, Department for Environment, recent discussions she has had on reductions in fishing Food and Rural Affairs (Mr James Paice): Ihavereceived discards; and if she will make a statement. [47197] a number of representations regarding the risks to livestock from releasing sky lanterns. I share those 13. Sarah Newton (Truro and Falmouth) (Con): What concerns and urge consumers to think twice before recent discussions she has had on reductions in fishing releasing lanterns. DEFRA officials are working with discards; and if she will make a statement. [47208] other Departments and the farming unions to see what action can be taken to reduce risks. The Department for The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has written to local Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Richard Benyon): authority trading standards officials to encourage them I was delighted to participate in a recent high-level to work with importers and manufacturers, and we are meeting on discards with the EU Commission and taking other actions. other members states, which agreed with the UK that tackling discards must be a priority for common fisheries Simon Hart: The Minister will be aware of that other policy reform and that action must be taken now. There great hazard facing farmers and livestock—namely fly- was a constructive and positive debate about measures tipping, which currently costs taxpayers something like needed as part of that reform. The UK is clear that £1 million per week. Will he assure us that that will be these must be practical, effective and developed in addressed in the Government’s waste strategy, and to co-operation with industry. coin a phrase, will he be tough on grime, and tough on the causes of grime? Neil Parish: I know that the Minister, like me, welcomes the fact that Devon fishermen have cut their discards by Mr Paice: I do not wish to open that can of worms, 50%.