Contributions
1,165 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe Environment Agency brought a prosecution against Southern Water in respect of its failures, and it received, as the hon. Gentleman will know, a record fine of £90 million.27 Jan 2022HANSARDCoastal CommunitiesWe keep different gear types and fishing practices under constant review. Concerns are sometimes raised about gill netting; that can be a sustainable form of fishing in some…27 Jan 2022HANSARDBees: ThiamethoxamThe emergency authorisation of thiamethoxam has been granted for sugar beet, which is a non-flowering crop so there is no direct risk to bees. However, due to the risk that…27 Jan 2022HANSARDAnimal Welfare (Sentience) Bill [Lords]I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time. The United Kingdom was the first country in the world to pass legislation to protect animals with the Cruel Treatment of…18 Jan 2022HANSARDAnimal Welfare (Sentience) Bill [Lords]We have had many pieces of legislation; I sought in the time I had to list some of the key ones, including the 2006 Act. How we treat animals, and the legislation we have to…18 Jan 2022HANSARDAnimal Welfare (Sentience) Bill [Lords]I think this matter was dealt with extensively by my noble Friend, Lord Benyon. The key thing is that an adverse effect can mean a failure to make a change or consider a change…18 Jan 2022HANSARDAnimal Welfare (Sentience) Bill [Lords]The Bill does include birds, since they are vertebrates, and it includes fish, since they are vertebrates. I point out that those particular animals have been recognised in our…18 Jan 2022HANSARDAnimal Welfare (Sentience) Bill [Lords]As I said, we do not believe that the Bill creates a cause of action for judicial review, for the simple reason that the obligation on a Minister is to respond to the report…18 Jan 2022HANSARDAnimal Welfare (Sentience) Bill [Lords]Yes. As I set out at the beginning of the debate, the United Kingdom has always been a world leader in animal welfare. We were the first country in the world to introduce animal…18 Jan 2022HANSARDFloor Risk Management: Inner CitiesI discussed this issue with the Environment Agency board yesterday. It is that time of year when being alert to flood risk is absolutely at the top of our priorities, and I…09 Dec 2021HANSARDFloor Risk Management: Inner CitiesI regularly meet the chair of the Environment Agency to discuss flood risk management, and indeed I spoke to its board yesterday. We have doubled our investment in flood and…09 Dec 2021HANSARDBasic Payment Scheme: Farmers’ IncomeMy hon. Friend makes an important point. Last year, we made some funding available to a range of consultants and advisers across the country to help support all farmers with the…09 Dec 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy colleague the Minister for Farming, Fisheries and Food visited those areas last week and saw some of the devastation. The hon. Gentleman is right that there has been severe…09 Dec 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsI thank my hon. Friend for his work on that report, which he and I have discussed many times. There are many things in his report that we do indeed intend to take forward.09 Dec 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsAs I said, the Minister for Farming, Fisheries and Food did visit and she held meetings with farmers to discuss their concerns. I have had raised with me issues such as damage to…09 Dec 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsEach year, the UK faces a seasonal risk of the incursion of avian influenza associated with migratory wild birds. Although we have that threat each year, this year we are seeing…09 Dec 2021HANSARDFloor Risk Management: Inner CitiesFirst, may I apologise for my oversight in not welcoming the hon. Gentleman to his place at the beginning of this session? We have made available £5.2 billion, and this is a…09 Dec 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsI regularly appear on “Farming Today”, as do my ministerial colleagues. The issue that the hon. Gentleman raises specifically is addressed through the Environment Act 2021, which…09 Dec 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend makes a good point. My noble Friend Lord Benyon is leading on this issue and I will ensure that he can have that conversation. As I have said, we are following this…09 Dec 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend makes a good point. A storm of this scale, which brings down this number of trees, can cause significant damage to infrastructure. We should pay tribute to the work…09 Dec 2021