Contributions
1,459 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEngland Coast PathI very much look forward to the noble Lord, who I know will be walking for many years to come, doing so. It is not my hope that this is finished; it is my intention. That is what…16 Jan 2020HANSARDEngland Coast PathThis is precisely part of the work because 85% of the coast is already accessible. The point about the coastal path is to have a rollback, absolutely in response to coastal…16 Jan 2020HANSARDEngland Coast PathMy Lords, work is well under way on all 66 stretches of the path. By June, all Natural England’s route proposals will have been published. The original target was to open the path…16 Jan 2020HANSARDEngland Coast PathClearly, I am disappointed that we have not been able to complete it, but the truth is that there was nothing we could do about the People Over Wind case in Europe. It was legally…16 Jan 2020HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Jones of Whitchurch, and other noble Lords for raising issues which come within Defra’s responsibility. I entirely respect the…15 Jan 2020HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillThe environment Bill has not been published yet, but it will not be long. I am not in a position to start talking about the detail of some of the clauses tonight, but that is why…15 Jan 2020HANSARDFarmingMy Lords, I take the opportunity of the noble Baroness’s question to speak of a manifesto commitment. We will guarantee the current annual budget to farmers in every year of the…08 Jan 2020HANSARDFarmingMy Lords, I am well aware that upland farming and sheep production in Wales are extremely important. That is why our lamb exports to Japan, China and India are a way forward. As…08 Jan 2020HANSARDFarmingMy Lords, 33% of all farms in England are of mixed tenure—owning and renting land—which emphasises why this is important. It is why we have consulted on tenancy reform and are…08 Jan 2020HANSARDFarmingMy Lords, I declare my farming interests as set out in the register. Upland and tenant farmers are key to a vibrant agricultural sector and rural communities. In the tenant…08 Jan 2020HANSARDFarmingMy Lords, I have to say that I have not studied that particular element. I think our tenancy reforms will ensure flexibility and that, as with all these things, there is a…08 Jan 2020HANSARDFarmingMy Lords, as I said before, we have guaranteed in our manifesto the current annual budget for farmers in every year of this Parliament. Clearly, as we all know, farming costs go…08 Jan 2020HANSARDFarmingMy Lords, environmental land management schemes will be available in the uplands, so that farmers can decide about food production, timber production and the public goods that…08 Jan 2020HANSARDQueen’s SpeechMy Lords, it is a great privilege to open this debate on the humble Address. I am in no doubt as to the many valuable and insightful contributions from your Lordships, and that…07 Jan 2020HANSARDNational Biodiversity Network ReportMy Lords, the point about gene editing is that it is very important that we use the best science to ensure that we feed the world and restore nature. The whole point about the…04 Nov 2019HANSARDCommon Fisheries Policy and Animals (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019If the noble Lord had joined us in the Moses Room, he would have understood that these regulations are to ensure that our statute book is up to date on leaving. The noble…04 Nov 2019HANSARDCommon Fisheries Policy and Animals (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019Speaking on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government, obviously I hope there will be the return of a Conservative Government, but the noble Lord is absolutely right that all sorts of…04 Nov 2019HANSARDNational Biodiversity Network ReportNo, it most certainly is not, which is why we are bringing forward the environmental land management scheme as part of the post-CAP arrangements. It is why we have published the…04 Nov 2019HANSARDNational Biodiversity Network ReportMy Lords, we are working at home and in the overseas territories to address biodiversity loss. Partnerships between government, farmers and conservationists have seen particular…04 Nov 2019HANSARDBrexit: Environmental RegulationMy Lords, the truth is that the Bill was not scrapped; with the passage of time and where we are—having a general election—we will have to start again with the Environment Bill,…04 Nov 2019