Thursday Volume 536 24 November 2011 No. 229 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 24 November 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] 431 24 NOVEMBER 2011 432 Therefore, we will seek to improve them to get the best House of Commons possible outcome for taxpayers, consumers and farmers alike. Thursday 24 November 2011 Mr Denis MacShane (Rotherham) (Lab): The Secretary of State will recall that that great European, Socrates, The House met at half-past Ten o’clock said that a politician who does not know the price of a bushel of wheat should not be in the job. If we got rid of PRAYERS the CAP, we would have to have a BAP—a British agricultural policy. Knowing our farming community—a [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] landowning community—and its control of top Tories, I suggest that the BAP would be far more expensive BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS than the CAP. NEW WRIT Mrs Spelman: I think we are speculating wildly about Ordered, the future of Europe. My job is to concentrate on That the Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the getting an improvement in the reforms. It is important Crown to make out a new Writ for the electing of a Member to to appreciate that the underlying objective of the CAP serve in this present Parliament for the Borough constituency of is to provide good-quality food at a reasonable price. Feltham and Heston in the room of Alan Keen, deceased.— My Department is committed in its business plan priorities (Ms Winterton.) to producing more food sustainably, precisely to achieve that objective. Oral Answers to Questions Andrew George (St Ives) (LD): I am sure that the Secretary of State will agree that a primary objective must be a move from market-distorting production ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS supports to supporting public goods, such as the environment and amenity. How much progress does she The Secretary of State was asked— believe the CAP reforms are making in that direction? How do we ensure that that general direction of progress Common Agricultural Policy can be accelerated? Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con): What recent Mrs Spelman: That is a helpful question, as it enables steps she has taken on reform of the common me to share with the House the fact that we are on a agricultural policy. [82269] journey with these proposals. We welcome the fact that the Commission wants to “green” the CAP. Taxpayers The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and have every right to expect other public goods for the Rural Affairs (Mrs Caroline Spelman): Having just heard subsidy they provide. We feel that the “greening”proposals the writ being moved, I am sure it would be the right also lack ambition, and we want proper recognition of thing to do to express our condolences to Alan Keen’s the fact that UK farmers go a lot further than those in a wife, Ann, whom we all remember, on behalf of the lot of other member states in providing stewardship whole House. schemes that make a real difference and provide The Government have commenced negotiations on environmental benefits that address problems such as the CAP reform proposals, which the Commission the demise of species. published on 12 October and which, for the first time, require the co-decision of the European Parliament. I Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North) (Lab): There is much recently met Agriculture Commissioner Ciolos, together talk of returning powers from Brussels to this Parliament with the Agriculture Ministers for the devolved and the British Government. Would the CAP not be a Administrations, to ensure that all parts of the United good policy to bring back to Britain? Could we not Kingdom are taken into account. subsidise British farmers, even at the current levels, and Mr Bone: Our net contribution to the European save billions of pounds from our budget every year? Union in the last five years of the Labour Government was £19 billion, and in the next five years of this Mrs Spelman: The nature of the supplementary questions coalition Government it will be £41 billion—an increase is ranging much wider than the remit of my Department. of 116%, because Tony Blair gave away Mrs Thatcher’s As I have said, my job at each one of these Council EU rebate. At the time, he said that our net contribution meetings is to get the best possible deal for consumers, would not increase because the European Union had taxpayers and farmers in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency. promised massive reform of the CAP. Who was lying, That is my duty. Tony Blair or the European Union? Dangerous Dogs Mrs Spelman: That is precisely why the UK Government have expressed their disappointment that the proposed CAP reforms lack ambition. Although the commissioner 2. Michael Connarty (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) correctly identifies food security and climate change as (Lab): What recent discussions she has had with the the two key challenges that agriculture faces, I regret Secretary of State for the Home Department on the that the proposals do not really address the great challenge. consultation on dangerous dogs. [82270] 433 Oral Answers24 NOVEMBER 2011 Oral Answers 434 The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Members who previously sat on the Opposition Front Food and Rural Affairs (Mr James Paice): My noble. Bench supported the proposal, they said that it would Friend Lord Taylor, who leads on the subject of dangerous help economic growth. Why, in the present economic dogs in DEFRA, has been working alongside Lord crisis, is it not being pursued more vigorously? Henley at the Home Office to see how the proposed antisocial measures can be best applied to such behaviour Mrs Spelman: Two things have emerged. We had relating to dogs. DEFRA has also been developing more than 2,000 replies to the consultation, which proposals on reducing dog attacks and promoting more showed that carbon is reported in very different ways. responsible dog ownership. This is now at an advanced One challenge is to find a way in which it can be stage and, subject to ministerial clearance, we will be reported meaningfully so that investors know which able to make an announcement early in the new year. company to invest in, because they understand the information they receive. Secondly, the Department for Michael Connarty: That is a very helpful reply, because Business, Innovation and Skills is consulting on the while the Government have been divided on this matter— content of company accounts—narrative reporting, as DEFRA and the Home Office share this responsibility— it is known. We need to synchronise the issue because and dithering, quite frankly, yet another very serious attack carbon reporting would be in a set of company accounts. on a postman has been reported by the Communication I perfectly understand the requirements of the Climate Workers Union. Someone nearly lost most of the fingers Change Act 2008 in that regard. on one hand in an attack by a dog, which was clearly vicious, in a private property. We need to deal with that Mary Creagh (Wakefield) (Lab): Climate change is problem quickly because members of the postal services the biggest market failure the world has seen and the who go into private property must be protected from Secretary of State’s decision on whether to introduce people who keep vicious dogs. carbon reporting to correct the failure is imminent. That decision is a once-in-a-Parliament opportunity to Mr Paice: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. create green growth and drive the development of low- The issue of dangerous dogs on private land is very carbon products and services across UK plc. With important and it is one of the issues we are discussing youth unemployment at record levels and mandatory closely with the Home Office because, as he will know, it reporting supported by Britain’s largest employers, how would require amendment to primary legislation. many jobs does she estimate would be created in the UK’s green economy if it was introduced? Jane Ellison (Battersea) (Con): Further to that reply, one of the consequences of the dangerous dogs debate has been the stigmatisation of an entire breed, the Mrs Spelman: The hon. Lady shares entirely with me Staffordshire bull terrier, which makes up a huge percentage an appreciation of how important it is that we make of the abandoned dogs that Battersea Dogs and Cats progress in that area. She will have seen how the coalition Home takes in and a vast bulk of those that are hard to Government have committed to challenging targets in rehome. Yesterday, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home order to change our economy to a low-carbon basis. In launched a campaign in Parliament to reclaim the good the spirit of being on the same page on this matter, I can name of the Staffordshire bull terrier. May I invite the say that I am keen to do what I can to transition the Minister to endorse that campaign? economy in that regard. On this specific question, however, I hope that the hon. Lady will appreciate that, as I said Mr Paice: Yes, I am happy to endorse that campaign, in my reply to the hon.