Contributions
262 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDRight to RoamI completely agree with the noble Baroness on the restorative qualities of access to nature, for not just young people but people of any age. The Government have spent…21 Feb 2024HANSARDRight to RoamAs a small farmer as well, I sympathise with my noble friend. Getting the balance right between responsible access and the other legitimate uses of that land is critical. In…21 Feb 2024HANSARDRight to RoamThe noble Baroness makes a good point. Maintaining access to all these routes is at the forefront of the Government’s agenda at the moment. I will certainly take away her specific…21 Feb 2024HANSARDRight to RoamMy noble friend raises a good point. There are issues around responsible access, such as illegal parking, livestock worrying, disrupting wildlife, damage and littering—a favourite…21 Feb 2024HANSARDRight to RoamThe noble Lord is quite right that local authorities have that responsibility. I can certainly take away his suggestion that we provide additional funding for that, but it is not…21 Feb 2024HANSARDRight to RoamMy Lords, I declare my farming interests, as set out in the register. The Government have not undertaken any assessment of the case for the right to roam. The Countryside and…21 Feb 2024HANSARDRight to RoamThe noble Baroness raises a good point regarding connecting to lost land and open spaces. The Government are aware that in the original mapping of open access land, some areas…21 Feb 2024HANSARDAnimal Welfare (Livestock Exports) BillThat the Bill be now read a second time.21 Feb 2024HANSARDEnvironment Agency: Flood Defence ExpenditureThe Government continue to invest in flood and coastal defence maintenance, with an extra £22 million per year for the current spending review period. Furthermore, £25 million…20 Feb 2024HANSARDEnvironment Agency: Flood Defence ExpenditureThe issue relating to flooding is not so much where we build our houses but how we build them. Historically, there have been some real challenges putting the right defences in…20 Feb 2024HANSARDEnvironment Agency: Flood Defence ExpenditureMy noble friend raises a good point. The allocation of resources is pretty much exactly as she expressed. It is done on the basis that areas most at risk will receive most of the…20 Feb 2024HANSARDEnvironment Agency: Flood Defence ExpenditureI do not have the details to hand at the moment, but I will write to the noble Baroness in due course.20 Feb 2024HANSARDEnvironment Agency: Flood Defence ExpenditureIndeed they do. A significant amount of research is ongoing around this issue. It is obviously very topical. Perhaps, once that research has been published, I can come back to the…20 Feb 2024HANSARDEnvironment Agency: Flood Defence ExpenditureThe Government have a very large budget for this spending period—£5.2 billion—and we are about half way through that process at the moment. The future funding arrangements will be…20 Feb 2024HANSARDEnvironment Agency: Flood Defence ExpenditureThere is a difficult balance to strike here in how you allocate the amount of money that we have to protect flooding defences right across the country, between the allocation made…20 Feb 2024HANSARDEnvironment Agency: Flood Defence ExpenditureMy Lords, I declare my interests as set out in the register. In the 2021 spending review, the Government increased funding for flood defence maintenance by £22 million annually,…20 Feb 2024HANSARDEnvironment Agency: Flood Defence ExpenditureI am not sure why we would want to do that.20 Feb 2024HANSARDEnvironment Agency: Flood Defence ExpenditureMy noble friend raises a good point. With over £200 million per year spent on maintenance, and a £5.2 billion capital investment for the 2021-27 years, flood defences are well…20 Feb 2024HANSARDEnvironment Agency: Flood Defence ExpenditureJust today at the NFU conference, the Prime Minister announced new funding packages available to drainage boards across the country.20 Feb 2024HANSARDWater Industry (Special Administration) Regulations 2024That the Grand Committee do consider the Water Industry (Special Administration) Regulations 2024.19 Feb 2024