Thursday Volume 699 22 July 2021 No. 39 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 22 July 2021 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1109 22 JULY 2021 1110 peril” that tariff-free deals could not only “compromise” House of Commons our own attempts to drive up these standards, but allow cheap imports, which would “undercut” our farmers. Thursday 22 July 2021 Given that the Trade and Agriculture Commission already made exactly that recommendation in its March report, almost five months ago, can the Secretary of State tell The House met at half-past Nine o’clock me when these core standards will be set out and whether that mechanism for defending them will be in PRAYERS place before the Australia deal is signed? George Eustice: The Government are working on a [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] sanitary and phytosanitary policy statement that will Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Orders, set out the UK’s farm-to-fork approach on these matters, 4 June and 30 December 2020). the science of good farm husbandry and how that improves food safety standards. We also have some key [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] things in our legislation, such as bans on the use of hormones in beef and of chlorinated washes. Those are in our legislation and will not change. Oral Answers to Questions Livestock Worrying Robin Millar (Aberconwy) (Con): What steps he is ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS taking to help tackle livestock worrying. [903131] The Secretary of State was asked— The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Victoria Prentis): National Food Strategy: Small-scale Family Farms New measures to crack down on livestock worrying are being introduced as part of the Animal Welfare (Kept Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con): What steps Animals) Bill. They will expand species and locations he is taking to help ensure the National Food Strategy covered, and will enhance enforcement. Improved powers provides a sustainable future for small-scale family farms. for the police will make it easier for them to collect [903130] evidence and, in the most serious cases, to seize and detain dogs. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (George Eustice): The Government thank Robin Millar: Farmers in Aberconwy have been speaking Henry Dimbleby and his team for their work on the to me about the threat that dogs out of control pose to independent review of the food system. Weare committed livestock. Dan Jones, who farms the Great Orme above to carefully considering the review and its recommendations, Llandudno, told me just yesterday about how five ewes and responding in full with a White Paper in the next six were killed in two attacks in just one day. This week, I months. That will set out our ambition and priorities was pleased to support my hon. Friend the Member for for the food system to support farms of all sizes and our Ynys Môn (Virginia Crosbie) in her Bill to amend the exceptional food and drink producers. Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, because this is a UK-wide problem. Will the Minister meet her, me Mr Hollobone: Does the Secretary of State agree that and other north Wales colleagues to discuss how we can the heart will be ripped out of the British countryside if strengthen legislation further to deal with this menace? small-scale family farms in Kettering and elsewhere go under as a result of industrial agriculture and the Victoria Prentis: I would be delighted to meet colleagues relentless pursuit of cheap food? What will he do to to discuss this important subject. New measures in the ensure that family farms remain an important and Bill specify that a dog will be considered to be at large permanent feature of rural life? unless it is on a lead of less than 1.8 metres or the dog remains in sight of the owner, who is aware of the dog’s George Eustice: My hon. Friend makes an important actions and is confident that the dog will return if called point about the importance of small family farms in .It is important that we continue to work on these our agriculture system. A lot of the economic analysis details to get this absolutely right. done by the Government and companies such as AB Agri shows that some of those smaller family farms are Abundance of Wildlife Species: Legislative Proposals technically the most proficient and often the most profitable, as they have attention to detail. The Government are Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab): If he will going to be bringing forward more proposals to support bring forward legislative proposals to set a target for the new entrants to our farming industry so that we have a abundance of wildlife species by 2030. [903132] vibrant, profitable sector, with farms of all sizes. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con): The National Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Rebecca Pow): We Food Strategy has recommended that the Government have amended the Environment Bill to require a new, must define the minimum standards we will accept in historic and legally binding target for species abundance future free trade deals and a “mechanism for protecting for 2030 to be set, aiming to halt the decline in nature. them”. The report says that without that there is “serious The details of that target will be set out secondary 1111 Oral Answers 22 JULY 2021 Oral Answers 1112 legislation and the target will be subject to the same the urban tree challenge fund for the next two years, a requirements as the other long-term legally binding £2.7 million local authority treescapes fund for 2021-22, targets set under the Bill. and £15.9 million for the woodland creation offer this year. Mr Dhesi: The UK is among the most nature-depleted countries; half our wildlife has decreased since 1970 Mr Speaker: Come on, Bob. and one in seven species is now at risk of extinction. Given a decade of huge cuts, all the rhetoric and the Bob Blackman [V]: Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I modest uplift in Natural England funding cannot hide thank my hon. Friend for her answer, and for the work the fact that the Government have consistently missed that she is doing. Clearly, in urban and suburban settings, United Nations biodiversity targets. Minister, in order new trees are a lifeline to encourage the green lungs of to show leadership and set an example to the rest of the the cities and towns around our country. What more world, should a natural target not be set now, rather can she offer to encourage local authorities to implement than wait, so that we can stop and reverse the decline of new street trees, which are appropriate to the setting, nature by 2030? not only on streets, but also in parks and open spaces? Rebecca Pow: I hope the hon. Gentleman will agree Rebecca Pow: My hon. Friend raises a really important that the Government are taking this issue really seriously. point. It is not just about planting trees in rural areas; We are the first Government to set a target such as this, our urban areas are so important, because that is where aiming to halt the decline of nature, and indeed recover people engage with the trees. So I am sure he will be it by 2030. We are working on the detail of that target. pleased to hear about the urban tree challenge fund, It will be set, along with all the other targets, through which is providing £6 million over the next two years to the Environment Bill, which will enable us to work support trees in exactly the places he says—our towns together to raise up nature everywhere, and we will be and cities. We have also opened the £2.7 million local announcing those targets in October 2022. authority treescapes fund, to encourage more tree planting in non-woodland settings, but particularly along roads Olivia Blake (Sheffield, Hallam) (Lab) [V]: I have and footpaths, just as he is suggesting. I hope that he become accustomed to the flurry of press releases from will be encouraging his local authority to apply for the Department and the long list of initiatives that the some of those grants. Minister has a habit of reciting when questioned about biodiversity and species abundance. Does she agree Coastal State Fisheries Negotiations: Quota Share with the Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, the right hon. Member for Ludlow (Philip Dunne), Andrew Bowie (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) when he says: (Con): What steps he is taking to maximise the share of “Although there are countless Government policies and targets quota for British fishermen in the next round of Coastal to ‘leave the environment in a better state than we found it’, too State fisheries negotiations. [903134] often they are grandiose statements lacking teeth and devoid of effective delivery mechanisms”? The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and So, where is the plan? Rural Affairs (George Eustice): It is very good to see my hon. Friend back in the Chamber after his illness. For Rebecca Pow: I hope the hon. Lady will agree that the 2021, the Government have secured fishing opportunities plethora of press releases demonstrate just how much of around 628,000 tonnes of quota across all the annual work is going on in this Department.