Contributions
1,483 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLive Animals: Export BanNo, I am hoping that it will be a government Bill.10 Jul 2023HANSARDLive Animals: Export BanOne of the items in the kept animals Bill, on the keeping of primates as pets, is a good example of something we can deliver more quickly than we could in an all-encompassing…10 Jul 2023HANSARDLive Animals: Export BanIt is certainly not the latter. You have a manifesto commitment, which you deliver over the course of a Parliament—that is what we are going to do. But the noble Baroness can…10 Jul 2023HANSARDLive Animals: Export BanThe noble Baroness is absolutely right. We are in negotiations with the French authorities, and we want to make sure that there is a good border control post at Coquelles. That…10 Jul 2023HANSARDLive Animals: Export BanI can assure my noble friend that this is a priority under O ur A ction P lan for A nimal W elfare and that we will bring it forward in this Parliament. We want to make sure that,…10 Jul 2023HANSARDLive Animals: Export BanMy Lords, the Government recognise the long-standing public concern about livestock and horses being exported for slaughter and fattening. We are determined to deliver our…10 Jul 2023HANSARDLive Animals: Export BanThe passage of elite animals for competition and for breeding is absolutely open, and will continue—it has a very high welfare standard. There are issues about the cost and…10 Jul 2023HANSARDLive Animals: Export BanI sit in awe of my noble friend’s determination, and I want to make sure that there is no wrath in her. I gently remind her that we have a very good record on animal welfare. We…10 Jul 2023HANSARDEuropean Union: Trade BarriersWe are 74% self-sufficient in products we can grow in this country and 62% self-sufficient in all food items. We are setting in train a whole range of policies through which we…04 Jul 2023HANSARDEuropean Union: Trade BarriersI do not see how that can happen; 55% of the direct payments went to the 10% who constitute the largest farmers—a deeply unfair system. We are focusing on payments with…04 Jul 2023HANSARDEuropean Union: Trade BarriersOur SPS arrangements with the EU are vital. When we were in the European Union, we had a system of trading at home and abroad which was controlled; now, we can have a bespoke…04 Jul 2023HANSARDEuropean Union: Trade BarriersMy Lords, the trade and co-operation agreement maintains zero tariffs and zero quotas on the trade in goods between the UK and the EU, and it includes a commitment to avoid…04 Jul 2023HANSARDEuropean Union: Trade BarriersFor trades like that to be successful, it takes two to tango and we want to make sure that our continuing conversations with our partners in Europe are facilitating precisely that…04 Jul 2023HANSARDEuropean Union: Trade BarriersYou have to slice and dice the different products that are exported to China. We had a very good pork meat export, which was stopped because of issues relating to Hong Kong. We…04 Jul 2023HANSARDWater Industry: Financial ResilienceWe think that the model that operates at the moment is the right one. We have seen more investment, but if the Government took back control, that would, in effect, put the onus…04 Jul 2023HANSARDWater Industry: Financial ResilienceI thank the noble Baroness for her questions. First, this will not impact on customers. Their bills are regulated by agreement with the regulator, Ofwat, and we do not expect any…04 Jul 2023HANSARDEuropean Union: Trade BarriersThe noble Lord makes a very good point. Obviously, we work with the Food Standards Agency—although it is not covered by my department—daily to make sure we have got this right in…04 Jul 2023HANSARDWater Industry: Financial ResilienceThe £190 billion is the amount water companies, with regulator approval, have invested in our water infrastructure. Thames Water has not paid out any dividends to its investors,…04 Jul 2023HANSARDEuropean Union: Trade BarriersWe work very closely with Hannah and other port managers—for example, on the common user charge, which is a way of alleviating very high costs on some and very low costs on…04 Jul 2023HANSARDWater Industry: Financial ResilienceI welcome the fact that overseas investors want to invest in our regulated utilities sector. We must remember that actions that Governments take on one element of the regulated…04 Jul 2023