Petitions

As the co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group for Fairtrade, alongside the hon. Member for Colne Valley (Jason McCartney), I rise to present a petition to the House of Commons from the residents of the UK. The presentation of this petition coincides with the presentation of a petition signed by nearly 300,000 people, which will be presented directly to Nestlé tomorrow by Fairtrade Yorkshire co-ordinator Joanna Pollard.

The petition states:

The petition of the residents of the United Kingdom,

Declares disappointment in Nestlé’s decision to end its ten year relationship with Fairtrade, switching sugar and cocoa sourcing for KitKat from Fairtrade to Rainforest Alliance accreditation; notes that up to 27,000 farmers in Côte d’Ivoire, Fiji and Malawi stand to lose their Fairtrade Premium; and further declares that these farmers will have less say on how money from that Premium is spent, at a time when those producers are facing unprecedented uncertainty.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to reaffirm its commitment to Fairtrade and urges Nestlé to ultimately reconsider their decision, in order to provide support to producers during a period of considerable uncertainty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

And the petitioners remain, etc.

[P002600]

Many residents of Glasgow North agree with the sentiments expressed by the hon. Member for Halifax (Holly Lynch). Their petition also requests that the House of Commons urge the Government to reaffirm their commitment to Fairtrade and urges Nestlé to ultimately reconsider its decision, in order to provide support to producers during a period of considerable uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A petition in similar terms was presented.

The petition of the residents of the constituency of Glasgow North

[P002601]

I rise to present this petition concerning Nestlé’s relationship with Fairtrade. The nation’s favourite chocolate snack, the KitKat, is manufactured in the chocolate city and fair trade city of York, providing vital jobs for my constituents. When sugar and cocoa were produced according to Fairtrade standards, we knew that farmers and their families were paid and treated well. I thank the GMB and Unite for negotiating a two-year maintenance of terms parallel to the Fairtrade standard. The nearly 284,000 online petitioners join those who have signed this petition in calling for all these standards to continue long into the future. We cannot let the bitterness of poor treatment of cocoa farmers spoil the sweetness that we have come to expect from Fairtrade chocolate.

A petition in similar terms was presented.

The petition of the residents of the United Kingdom

[P002602]

I rise to present a petition of the same nature on behalf of the residents of the United Kingdom. As co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group for Fairtrade, alongside the hon. Member for Halifax (Holly Lynch), I welcome the Government’s financial support for the Fairtrade Foundation as it supports agricultural producers and garment workers in developing countries during the coronavirus pandemic. Grants have come from a new £6.85 million vulnerable supply chains facility, which helps vulnerable workers and suppliers overseas to tackle the economic and social shocks of covid-19 and helps keep popular products such as chocolate and flowers on high street shelves in the UK. We now need Nestlé to do its part as well.

A petition in similar terms was presented.

The petition of the residents of the United Kingdom

[P002604]

I rise to present a petition on behalf of the residents of Warwickshire.

The petition states:

The petition of residents of Warwickshire,

Declares that the proposed restructuring of Warwickshire County Council represents a naked power grab by the Council; notes that Warwickshire is currently run by a two-tier system, with borough and district councils taking responsibility in local areas for some services, while Warwickshire County Council runs other services across the wider area; further notes that the proposed new arrangement would see a single, unitary authority replace this system; further notes that there has been no other options for local government structures proposed by the county that reflect possible hybrid structures between borough/district councils and the county council; and further declares that there has been a lack of public consultation about these plans or any other.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to engage with Warwickshire County Council and halt their proposed plans, and works to create a public forum, such as a People’s Assembly, to oversee a review process whereby local district and borough councils, and the county council submit their proposals for the future structuring of local Government in Warwickshire.

And the petitioners remain, etc.

[P002603]