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Thursday Volume 654 21 February 2019 No. 257 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 21 February 2019 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2019 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1579 21 FEBRUARY 2019 1580 Richard Benyon (Newbury) (Con): Anaerobic digestion House of Commons of food waste used to be prohibitively expensive for local authorities, but now there has been a massive drop in the cost so savings are available for local authorities Thursday 21 February 2019 and businesses if they opt for this kind of food waste disposal. What measures can the Government take to promote this as a really good green method of reducing The House met at half-past Nine o’clock food waste? Michael Gove: My right hon. Friend is absolutely PRAYERS right. Anaerobic digestion can play an important part in dealing with food waste and making sure that we have a truly circular economy. We want to work both [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] with local authorities and with farmers and land managers to make sure that, where appropriate, anaerobic digestion can be expanded. Oral Answers to Questions Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP): The Secretary of State will accept that food produced here that cannot go to market in the EU and cannot be sold here profitably will increase food waste. Will he ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS reverse the change in the guidance on protected geographical indications that he issued last week and provide Scotland’s high-quality food and drink exporting industry with all The Secretary of State was asked— the support that it needs to maintain protections across the EU rather than leaving producers to do it themselves Food Waste all over again? 1.SimonHart(CarmarthenWestandSouthPembrokeshire) Michael Gove: All the geographical indications that (Con): What recent steps he has taken to reduce the Scotland’soutstanding food producers and other producers volume of food waste. [909361] enjoy will be protected in the future. The real danger to Scotland’s food producers is a Scottish Government The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural who are not prepared, I am afraid, to use the Agriculture Affairs (Michael Gove): The Government recently launched Bill that is currently before the House to provide our their resources and waste strategy, which outlines a new outstanding food producers with the legislative framework approach to addressing food waste. Actions include that they need. In that respect, I am afraid that the consulting on introducing regulations to make transparent Scottish Government are being negligent, and not for reporting mandatory for businesses of an appropriate the first time. size, and the appointment of Mr Ben Elliot as the food surplus and waste champion to support our strategy. Sandy Martin (Ipswich) (Lab): The Labour Administration in Wales have instituted household food Simon Hart: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of waste collections across the nation. The anaerobic digestion State will be aware that some confusion is caused by industry in Wales is flourishing because it guarantees disingenuous labelling with “use by” and “best before”, regular feedstock, and the amount of food wasted in including in one example, on a packet of salt. What the first place in Welsh households has reduced because progress are the Government making in sorting out this people are thinking about what they do with their food. nonsense? Meanwhile, in England, we get yet another consultation to add to the impressive mountain of strategies and Michael Gove: My hon. Friend is right to point out consultations produced by the Department. Will the that there can be confusion as a result of labelling. consultation lead to comprehensive doorstep food waste There has been leadership from the very top of the collections in England, will the Secretary of State’s Government in pointing out that, when it comes to salt Department seek the funding needed to enable local or jam, it is perfectly possible to consume healthy and authorities to do the collections, and why will it take nutritious food uninhibited by some of the nannying England four more years to do something that is already regulations and pointless bureaucracy of the past, and being done in Wales? to eliminate waste. Michael Gove: Yes, yes, and I yield to no one in my admiration for Wales. Derek Twigg (Halton) (Lab): What discussions have the Secretary of State or his officials had with local Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con): A lot of food authorities, for instance, about how they can help with is destroyed before it even lands on the supermarket this strategy? shelves. Carrots are not straight enough, tomatoes are not round enough. What is my right hon. Friend doing Michael Gove: We have had extensive discussions to promote wonky veg, which is just as beautiful and with the Local Government Association and the Ministry nutritious on the inside, even if it is not visually appealing? of Housing, Communities and Local Government. We want to move towards mandatory food waste collection Michael Gove: Since my hon. Friend and I were at across all local authorities, and we intend to ensure that college together, both of us have been champions of resources are available to help them to do just that. wonky veg, and indeed other unconventional foodstuffs, 1581 Oral Answers 21 FEBRUARY 2019 Oral Answers 1582 and he is absolutely right: when it comes to food, the 6. Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP): What steps he is search for symmetry and for perfection is vain and, if taking to tackle serious and organised waste crime. the House will excuse the pun, fruitless. The true joy of [909367] food comes in appreciating the diversity of British food producers and the way in which wonky veg—or even, The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural sometimes, unconventional cuts of meat—can be a Affairs (Michael Gove): Last year, we commissioned a source of great nutrition. In that respect, Mr Speaker, review of serious and organised crime in the waste may I say that even though it is awful, sometimes it is a sector. Recommendations from the review have informed good thing to indulge in tripe? our strategic approach to tackling waste crime. We have plans to prevent, detect and deter all forms of waste Mr Speaker: Well, I must say I rather enjoyed that. I crime, including the creation of a joint unit for waste must say to the House that I did exhort the right hon. crime and a dedicated disruption team to deal with the Gentleman to inject into his answers some philosophy, threat of serious and organised criminal gangs. and I think he has already done that. Andrew Griffiths: Landowners, and particularly farmers, across Burton and Uttoxeter have been having to deal Puppies: Welfare Standards with the scourge of industrial fly-tipping. One farmer who I met in Uttoxeter was confronted overnight with a 2. Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con): What tsunami-like deposit of waste that was chest-height and steps he is taking to improve welfare standards for went on for hundreds of metres. It was he who had then puppies. [909362] to deal with the consequences—not just cleaning it up, but paying for that. What are we going to do to support TheParliamentaryUnder-Secretaryof StateforEnvironment, farmers, make sure that the perpetrators get caught and Food and Rural Affairs (David Rutley): The ban on help to keep our countryside clean? third-party sales of puppies and kittens is an important Michael Gove: My hon. Friend raises an important step forward in improving welfare standards for puppies point and is an indefatigable campaigner for everyone in England. When introduced, the ban will address in his constituency. He is quite right not only that welfare concerns associated with the sale of puppies by fly-tipping is a horrific crime that leads to environmental dealersandpetshops.Itwillalsocrackdownonunscrupulous damage, but that it is doubly unfair for farmers and breeders who operate with little regard for animal welfare. landowners who have to bear the costs of clearing the waste. That is why we have talked to magistrates and Nigel Huddleston: Will the Minister join me in thanking others to ensure that they appreciate that they have the Dogs Trust for all the work it is doing on the issue of unlimited powers to fine those responsible for these puppy smuggling, and will the Government do all they crimes. can to stamp out this despicable trade, including reviewing border enforcement and the pet travel scheme? Jim Shannon: I thank the Secretary of State for that response, but will he further outline whether he intends David Rutley: I welcome the work of the Dogs Trust to liaise with the Ministry of Justice to increase the to highlight the abhorrent issue of puppy smuggling, and judicial ability in these cases to make examples of those I thank it for its support for a ban on third-party sales. who repeatedly flout the rules, on the basis that the fine The Department is working in close collaboration for being caught just once is less than the cost of with the Dogs Trust to tackle puppy smuggling. Our disposing of ten times as much waste? In other words, comprehensiveapproachtothisissueencompassesinternational will he make the fine fit the crime? engagement, enforcement, public communications and tighter regulation. Looking to the future, leaving the EU Michael Gove: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely will open up new approaches to managing our pet travel right: the “polluter pays” principle is central to good arrangements. environmental management, and we must ensure that every arm of the justice system has the tools required to make sure that those who pollute pay a heavy price for David Simpson (Upper Bann) (DUP): We all know their crime.

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