Vol. 726 Monday No. 128 21 March 2011 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDER OF BUSINESS Questions Agriculture: Pigs HMS “Endurance” Somalia Disabled People: Employment Wreck Removal Convention Bill First Reading Pensions Bill [HL] Order of Consideration Motion Marine Licensing (Licence Application Appeals) Regulations 2011 Marine Licensing (Notices Appeals) Regulations 2011 Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 Motions to Approve Libya Statement Fixed-term Parliaments Bill Committee (2nd Day) European Council Decision: EUC Report Motion to Approve Fixed-term Parliaments Bill Committee (2nd Day) (Continued) Written Statements Written Answers For column numbers see back page £3·50 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. The bound volumes also will be sent to those Peers who similarly notify their wish to receive them. No proofs of Daily Reports are provided. 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THE INDEX to each Bound Volume of House of Commons Debates is published separately at £9·00 and can be supplied to standing order. WEEKLY INFORMATION BULLETIN, compiled by the House of Commons, gives details of past and forthcoming business, the work of Committees and general information on legislation, etc. Single copies: £1·50. Annual subscription: £53·50. All prices are inclusive of postage. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 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; email: [email protected] 447 Agriculture: Pigs[21 MARCH 2011] Agriculture: Pigs 448 Lord Henley: My Lords, the noble Lord is, for once, House of Lords right to say that it is the same old question. We have heard it from him a number of times in the past. If he Monday, 21 March 2011. is asking whether we should subsidise pig farmers, I have to say that this industry has largely been unsubsidised 2.30 pm and that is how the Government and the pig world would like it to continue. If he is saying that there are Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Exeter. concerns about the welfare standards being higher here than elsewhere, well, welfare standards are higher here than elsewhere. That is something the previous Agriculture: Pigs Government brought in earlier than the rest of Europe, Question but the rest of Europe will be catching up with our standards by January 2013, which we welcome. At that point, there will be a level playing field in terms of 2.36 pm welfare standards. Asked By Lord Hoyle To ask Her Majesty’s Government what help The Countess of Mar: My Lords, prior to foot and they are giving to British pig farmers. mouth disease in 2001, pig farmers were allowed to feed swill to their pigs. Is there any way in which Her Majesty’s Government can reconsider the rules on The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department swill feeding so that swill can be prepared centrally or for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): regionally by approved swill cookers and then distributed We are committed to supporting and developing all to pigs? The cost of feeding pigs grain is tremendous British farming. This includes working with the pig and is frequently criticised. industry to build on progress by the pig meat task force to improve relationships between farmers and retailers. At an EU level, we are working to improve Lord Henley: The noble Countess is right to point the situation for producers in the medium term, including to that problem, which is why I highlighted the price discussions in the Commission’s new enlarged pig increases in cereal. If the scientific evidence was such meat advisory group. that pig swill could be made safe and reintroduced into the food chain, we would consider it. Obviously we will base any decision entirely on the scientific Lord Hoyle: My Lords, I thank the Minister for evidence put before us. that reply. Is he aware that pig producers are losing £20 on every pig sold, that the industry as a whole is losing £3 million per week and that at the same time The Lord Bishop of Exeter: My Lords, is the Minister supermarkets are making £60 million a week and aware that a survey by the National Pig Association processors are making £8 million per week? When are last month indicated that 77 per cent of producers the Government going to set up a grocery ombudsman have said that they will go out of production if the whose job will be not only to protect consumers but to present situation continues? If that happened, there ensure that producers, such as British pig producers, would be more imports of lower-welfare pork, some get a fair price for their product? of which is produced in conditions that frankly would be illegal in this country. Will the Government consider bringing together producers, those who represent Lord Henley: My Lords, I am very grateful to the processors and the supermarkets to see whether we noble Lord for raising his Question. He is quite right might together achieve a long-term sustainable supply to point to problems that the pig industry is facing as a chain agreement? result of the rise in the price of cereals and oil and the fact that our welfare standards, of which we ought to be very proud in this country, are a lot higher than Lord Henley: My Lords, I am grateful to the right elsewhere. As regards his principal question about the reverend Prelate for highlighting the problems in the grocery code adjudicator, we have made it clear on a whole supply chain. We accept that it is in the retailers’ number of occasions in this House and in another interest to ensure the long-term survival of British place that we intend to bring forward legislation to producers of pork, and we will do all that we can to create a grocery code adjudicator. We hope that we achieve that. There is very little that the Government will be able to produce draft legislation later this year can do directly, but there are a large number of things and take things further forward as we discuss that that we can do indirectly, which is why I referred to draft legislation. the groceries code adjudicator and why I talk about government buying standards and a whole range of other matters. They are all small things, but they Lord Pearson of Rannoch: My Lords, I am afraid it should all help. is the same old question, but it has to be because so little of our national law is now made in your largely redundant Lordships’ House. The question is: to what Baroness Quin: My Lords, in response to my noble extent are Her Majesty’s Government in charge of aid friend Lord Hoyle, the Minister talked about a draft to pig farmers and to what extent is it decided in Bill on the adjudicator later this year. However, given Brussels? the urgency of and indeed the cross-party support for 449 Agriculture: Pigs[LORDS] HMS “Endurance” 450 [BARONESS QUIN] HMS “Endurance” this, can we have an assurance that the adjudicator’s Question office will be up and running this year? Is that the Government’s aim? 2.45 pm Tabled By Viscount Montgomery of Alamein Lord Henley: My Lords, as the noble Baroness knows well, I cannot give the House that assurance. To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans All I have said is that we will have a draft Bill this year, they have to replace HMS “Endurance” as the and we will take it from there. Antarctic ice patrol vessel. Lord Tomlinson: My Lords, does the noble Lord Baroness Hooper: My Lords, on behalf of the noble still believe in the primacy of market forces? Viscount, Lord Montgomery of Alamein, and at his request, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in his Noble Lords: This side! name on the Order Paper. Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville: My Lords, if I The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry may say so to the noble Lord, it was the turn of those of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): My Lords, first, I on these Benches. I congratulate my noble friend on am sure that the whole House will wish to join me in the usual high standard of his answers. Does his offering sincere condolences to the families and friends bloodline make him a kinsman of the late Earl of of Lance Corporal Liam Tasker from the Royal Army Emsworth? Veterinary Corps and Lance Corporal Steven McKee from the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment, who were killed on operations in Afghanistan recently, and Lord Henley: My Lords, that is a very difficult one.