Contributions
1,962 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBritish Farming: CompetitivenessThe noble Baroness is absolutely correct that we talked in our manifesto about the importance of public procurement in supporting our food industry. The Procurement Act allows…03 Mar 2026HANSARDBritish Farming: CompetitivenessOn the latter part of the noble Earl’s question, Great South West does tremendous work in this area. I went to the launch of its review, which is a blueprint for how the…03 Mar 2026HANSARDBritish Farming: CompetitivenessIt is important to say that the UK values its relationship with the Mercosur countries and we are committed to identifying ways to continue to strengthen our trade relations. We…03 Mar 2026HANSARDBritish Farming: CompetitivenessOn the India deal, we maintained tariffs on several products, including pork, chicken and eggs. That was because we had concerns about animal welfare standards and the potential…03 Mar 2026HANSARDBritish Farming: CompetitivenessMy Lords, this Government are backing British farmers to create a productive, profitable and sustainable future for farming. We will always consider whether overseas produce has…03 Mar 2026HANSARDBritish Farming: CompetitivenessWe have been very clear when working on our trading agreements with other countries that our standards are sacrosanct. We will not allow deals that undermine the standards that we…03 Mar 2026HANSARDBritish Farming: CompetitivenessI am going to have to disappoint the noble Lord in that I am not able to discuss any specific carve-outs that we are looking at during the negotiations with the European Union.…03 Mar 2026HANSARDForest-Risk CommoditiesI am sure the noble Baroness is aware that the Government are working alongside farmers and environmental organisations on our farming road map, “Farming 2050, Growing England’s…02 Mar 2026HANSARDForest-Risk CommoditiesMy noble friend asks a really important question. We announced a review of the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct as part of the UK trade strategy, and that is…02 Mar 2026HANSARDForest-Risk CommoditiesMy Lords, the UK strongly supports global efforts to protect forests and remains steadfast in working with partners to deliver the shared commitment to halt and reverse…02 Mar 2026HANSARDForest-Risk CommoditiesAs I mentioned, we remain steadfast in working with partners to deliver our shared commitment to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation. Clearly, examples such as…02 Mar 2026HANSARDForest-Risk CommoditiesI shall take the noble Baroness’s concerns back to Defra because they are fair. But the issue is that we must make sure that we get the best regulatory approach to address…02 Mar 2026HANSARDForest-Risk CommoditiesDue diligence, particularly around trade and standards, is incredibly important. We want, as I am sure the noble Baroness is aware, to grow our economy in this country, but at the…02 Mar 2026HANSARDForest-Risk CommoditiesWe have ambitious tree-planting proposals, including planting three new national forests—one has already begun and two are well on the way—because it is important that we increase…02 Mar 2026HANSARDForest-Risk CommoditiesAs I have already mentioned, we are absolutely committed to delivering this and ensuring that any regulatory framework we bring in that will affect any kind of product, such as…02 Mar 2026HANSARDForest-Risk CommoditiesI assure the noble Baroness that the UK remains absolutely committed to providing international climate finance, both now and in the future, and to play our part alongside other…02 Mar 2026HANSARDGlobal Biodiversity Loss and National SecurityI am sure the noble Lord will appreciate that I cannot comment on the ongoing discussions that are taking place with the EU regarding the reset. However, we have been discussing…23 Feb 2026HANSARDGlobal Biodiversity Loss and National SecurityI am starting to get a bit alarmed about the number of questions referring to World War III, but the noble Lord is right: food security is of critical importance. I am sure that…23 Feb 2026HANSARDGlobal Biodiversity Loss and National SecurityMy Lords, nature underpins our security, prosperity and resilience, and understanding the threats we face from biodiversity loss is essential to address them effectively. This…23 Feb 2026HANSARDGlobal Biodiversity Loss and National SecurityThe proposals on farmed animals in the animal welfare strategy are designed not to harm farmers but to bring long-term improvements to animal welfare in relation to how our food…23 Feb 2026