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1,788 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Economic UpdateMaking announcements is one thing, but, to use the Chancellor’s words, operationalising at speed is quite another, so can he be more precise about the resources available for the…17 Mar 2020HANSARD Caging of Farm AnimalsI assume the enhancements will be delivered through environmental land management schemes. Would the measures that the Minister is describing be delivered through the tier 1…16 Mar 2020HANSARD Caging of Farm AnimalsThank you for calling me to speak, Mr Davies. I will not respond to that, but it is always a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair—I am not going to cluck. I thank my hon.…16 Mar 2020HANSARDElectric Vehicles: Charging InfrastructureThe extension of the plug-in taxi grant until 2022-23 is welcome. That works for bespoke vehicles, but what about cities such as Cambridge, where the city council rightly expects…12 Mar 2020HANSARDFree ChildcareMy hon. Friend is making a powerful case. Does she agree with me that the current system is under huge pressure? In my city of Cambridge are two nurseries: one maintained and one…09 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Twelfth sitting)Why does it take the Government so long—since 2018—to respond, and why do they finally respond on the day that we discuss this issue in Committee? We probably all know the…05 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Twelfth sitting)I listened closely to the Minister and there was much that I probably agree with. However, I would have predicted that we would return to the vexed question of which piece of…05 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Twelfth sitting)Aha! As ever, I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman. He has touched on a subject that is of some interest to me, as I chair the all-party parliamentary group for life…05 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Twelfth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. Thank you, Sir David— [ Interruption. ] There is some confusion on this side; I apologise. I blame the late publication of…05 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Twelfth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. Picture this: it is a lovely sunny day and everyone is outside. Kids are playing in the park, with their mums and dads…05 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Twelfth sitting)I have to say, I am very disappointed by that reply. It is complacent about what is going on in the countryside, and it does not address the very real issues that employers will…05 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Twelfth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. I preface my comments by declaring that I am a member of Unite, the trade union that represents many agricultural and rural…05 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Twelfth sitting)I anticipated the question on the definition of highly intensive farming when I reread the new clause over lunchtime. I rather thought that it would be the right hon. Member for…05 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Twelfth sitting)These two new clauses would require the Secretary of State to conduct or commission research into the impact on animal welfare of highly intensive livestock farming practices in…05 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Twelfth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.05 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Twelfth sitting)I appreciate what the right hon. Member says. We are not seeking to stop that kind of process. We are trying to make it more difficult for councils to respond to funding cuts by…05 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Twelfth sitting)I do not know the answer, but I am happy to go away and look for it, because that sounds like an interesting idea. Let me explain what our worry is. We are here discussing major,…05 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Twelfth sitting)New clause 26 is broadly similar to new clause 5, which my hon. Friend has just moved. She spoke powerfully about the plight of our county farms. She did mention, of course,…05 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Twelfth sitting)Sir David, you will be glad to hear that earlier I was mid-sentence but close to my conclusion. All I was going to say was, when we come to conclude our discussion, the simple…05 Mar 2020HANSARDAgriculture Bill (Eleventh sitting)I have listened very closely to the Minister addressing a range of complicated issues. In responding, I will work backwards. We fully accept that drafting the detail in these…05 Mar 2020