Thursday Volume 619 19 January 2017 No. 94 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 19 January 2017 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2017 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1045 19 JANUARY 2017 1046 measure and we are able to benchmark changes year on House of Commons year. As I said, that has been very stable: it was 16% when the Labour party was in power and it is 16% now. Thursday 19 January 2017 Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con): Food insecurity is a terrible thing, and it is exacerbated by low-income The House met at half-past Nine o’clock households spending too much on food that is not good for them. During the war, the wartime generation knew how to manage on a very tight budget, and nutrition PRAYERS actually improved for most households, including the very poorest. Could we learn some lessons from the [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] wartime generation about how best to feed our people? George Eustice: My colleagues in the Department of Health publish lots of very good guidance and run lots Oral Answers to Questions of very good campaigns to encourage healthy eating. In addition, we have the school food plan, which aims to improve the nutrition of food in schools so that children learn lifelong good habits. I agree with my hon. Friend ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS that it is possible to eat good, nutritious food, the cost of which has been remarkably stable. The Secretary of State was asked— Nick Thomas-Symonds (Torfaen) (Lab): When I visit Household Food Insecurity my local food banks, I hear that the number of people relying on them is going up. Is it not the truth that the Government do not want to collect data on that because 1. Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab): they would have to admit the failure of their policies, What steps her Department is taking to measure levels not least the fact that getting a job is no longer a route of household food insecurity. [908252] out of poverty because of the levels of in-work poverty they have created? The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (George Eustice): We have a George Eustice: This Government have introduced well-established living costs and food survey, which has the concept of a national living wage, which will raise been running for many years and which informs our incomes for the lowest paid in our society. I, too, visit “Family Food” publication. It includes questions on my local food bank, and I send my case officers into the household spend on food, including that of the lowest food bank to help people who may be having particular 20% of income households. This figure has remained problems or crises in their lives. Many complex issues reasonably stable, at around 16%, for many years. contribute to poverty. I advise all Members to work closely with their local food banks, as my office does. Mrs Lewell-Buck: May I congratulate you, Mr Speaker, because I believe it is your birthday? Happy birthday, Air Quality Mr Speaker—I hope you have a good’un! I thank the Minister for his response, but he knows as 2. Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North) (Lab): What steps well as I do that that is simply not good enough. An she is taking to improve air quality. [908253] estimated 8.4 million people in Britain live in food-insecure households. There have been repeated calls from me, the 6. Matthew Pennycook (Greenwich and Woolwich) all-party group on hunger, the Environment, Food and (Lab): What steps she is taking to improve air quality. Rural Affairs Committee, the Food Foundation, Sustain [908257] and Oxfam for the Government to adopt a household The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for food-insecurity measurement. Why will the Government Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Dr Thérèse Coffey): not just admit that the fact is that their resistance to The United Kingdom complies with the EU legislation introducing such a measurement is because once they for nearly all air pollutants, but faces challenges in have admitted the scale of hunger, they will have to do achieving nitrogen dioxide limits, along with 16 other something about it and admit that it is largely caused by EU member states. That is why we have committed their punitive welfare reform policies? more than £2 billion since 2011 to reduce transport emissions and the autumn statement provided a further George Eustice: I, too,add the best wishes of Government £290 million to support greener transport. We should Members to you on your birthday, Mr Speaker. I all recognise that air quality is actually improving, but understand that it is also the birthday of the House of we recognise that we need to go further and faster and Commons Chaplain, Rose. I am sure we will all want to will be consulting on a new national plan by 24 April. add our best wishes to her, too. I fundamentally disagree with the hon. Lady. This Kelvin Hopkins: I thank the Minister for her answer, Government have got more people back into work than but I believe the Secretary of State is aware of the GB ever before, and the best way to tackle poverty is to help Freight Route rail scheme, which will take up to 5 million people off benefits and get them into work. In the lorry journeys off Britain’sroads each year,save thousands LCFS, which has been running for many years, we have of tonnes of emissions, and radically improve air quality. an established measure of how much the lowest-income Will she and her Ministers use their good offices to households are spending on food. It is a consistent press the case for GB Freight Route in Government? 1047 Oral Answers 19 JANUARY 2017 Oral Answers 1048 Dr Coffey: With Felixstowe in my constituency, I am deadlines by 2010, and failed spectacularly. We are fully aware of the advantages of rail freight. I stress to continuing to invest in this area and will continue to do the hon. Gentleman that the Departments for Transport so and work with devolved Administrations on specific and for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs work issues in other areas. closely together on these matters. Shifting freight onto rail is a key part of any future strategy. Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire) (Con): Does my hon. Friend agree that one way to make real progress Matthew Pennycook: Is the Minister aware of the on air quality is to forge ahead with ultra-low emission controversial proposal for a cruise liner terminal at vehicles. Given that 25% of the cars on Norway’s roads Enderby Wharf in east Greenwich? With the air quality are either electric or hybrid, does she agree that we need impact of that proposal in mind, will she tell us when a real turbo-charged boost to get ahead in this area? the Government expect the recently promised review into shore-to-ship power and the assumptions that underpin Dr Coffey: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The port development to conclude? low-emission vehicle industry is a competitive advantage for this country, which is why the Government are Dr Coffey: The hon. Gentleman will be aware that his backing it through the Office for Low Emission Vehicles own council carried out an environmental impact and the many millions of pounds that have been spent assessment, which it considered when looking at that on improving the charging infrastructure up and down particular planning application. As he will also be aware, this country. my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) (Lab): Many happy for Transport, is committed to looking further at what returns, Mr Speaker, to both you and Rev. Rose. can be done, and I am sure that he is making progress with that. The Government have lost the confidence of this House on air quality. More than 50,000 people are Dame Caroline Spelman (Meriden) (Con): Does the dying prematurely each year because of air pollution, Minister agree that British businesses have made great and many more are suffering associated health conditions. strides in recent years in producing technologies that With no guarantee from either the Prime Minister or enable us to improve air quality, such as the taxis that the Secretary of State that last December’s strict EU now run in Birmingham on liquefied petroleum gas and laws will be introduced post-Brexit, how can the country the adaptation of buses that have significantly cleaned trust the Government to ensure cleaner air in future? up the air in Oxford Street? Dr Coffey: The hon. Lady refers to a lack of trust in Dr Coffey: I agree with my right hon. Friend. Her this Government. I think that that is the pot calling the vast experience in this area is added to by her local kettle black. It was the Labour Government who introduced knowledge of the city of Birmingham and the support fiscal incentives for people to switch to diesel cars, and going on there. This Government made a substantial it was the Labour Government who signed up to these transport settlement with the previous Mayor of London, guidelines. Air quality is better now than it was under a my right hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and Labour Government. That is an uncontrovertible fact. South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), and I know that air Mr Speaker: Or even an incontrovertible fact.