Contributions
1,387 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Government Support for a Circular EconomyI congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne (Caroline Ansell) on securing this debate, which gives me, as the Minister, the opportunity to talk about so much that is…25 Oct 2023HANSARD Government Support for a Circular EconomyThe hon. Lady will not be surprised that I completely disagree with her. All these schemes are aligning. Maybe she has not been listening to the recent announcements about all the…25 Oct 2023HANSARD Government Support for a Circular EconomyThe Scottish spokesperson raised the whole subject of the DRS in his speech. I was disappointed at the approach he has taken, because my officials and I are at pains to be working…25 Oct 2023HANSARD Government Support for a Circular EconomyThree bins is one possible direction. If a council still wanted to separate out all the products, as mine does in Somerset—if that works, because it has the systems and knows it…25 Oct 2023HANSARD Importation and Sale of Foie GrasI thank my hon. Friend the Member for Clacton (Giles Watling) for securing this debate today. As he pointed out, he is chair of the all-party parliamentary group on animal…24 Oct 2023HANSARD Importation and Sale of Foie GrasI thank the hon. Lady for that intervention. If she will bear with me and listen to my speech, I think she will see that so much proposed in the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill…24 Oct 2023HANSARD Importation and Sale of Foie GrasI thank my right hon. Friend for that intervention and I am not going to disagree about the horrible cruelty—that is why we have banned the practice in this country. I think he…24 Oct 2023HANSARD Importation and Sale of Foie GrasI hear what my hon. Friend says, and I will certainly pass on his comments. I have made the point that we have a choice as to whether or not to buy the product if we do not…24 Oct 2023HANSARD Importation and Sale of Foie GrasAm I allowed to take an intervention, Mr Pritchard? I am not sure whether I have time.24 Oct 2023HANSARD Importation and Sale of Foie GrasI will be generous and take another intervention.24 Oct 2023HANSARD Importation and Sale of Foie GrasActually, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs dismissed those comments completely and said, “Absolutely not”. I reiterate that very strongly. To…24 Oct 2023HANSARDStorm Babet: FloodingFirst, we are far from complacent; quite the reverse. The hon. Member suggested that we need to be better prepared; that is what our whole flood budget is geared up to doing. That…23 Oct 2023HANSARDStorm Babet: FloodingStorm Babet has affected a number of communities across the UK, with the worst impacts being seen in Scotland and the very sad loss of life in Scotland and England. I know only…23 Oct 2023HANSARDStorm Babet: FloodingI thank my right hon. and learned Friend for those astute observations. He is right about the more frequent incidence. This is linked to climate change—there is no doubt about…23 Oct 2023HANSARDStorm Babet: FloodingI fully support the hon. Lady’s thanks to all those emergency services working in Scotland—interestingly, she named the coastguard’s involvement in her area. To everyone involved,…23 Oct 2023HANSARDStorm Babet: FloodingI thank my hon. Friend for all she did this weekend. She was straight on the phone, rightly representing her constituents. I believe that the waters are now receding in Erewash. I…23 Oct 2023HANSARDStorm Babet: FloodingI reiterate our condolences to the family of Maureen. Nothing could be more tragic, so huge sympathies go out to the family. We were in touch with the hon. Gentleman over the…23 Oct 2023HANSARDStorm Babet: FloodingBuilding and development has been considered, working with DLUHC, in our holistic plan for water. It is why we so urgently need sustainable urban drainage, for example, in our new…23 Oct 2023HANSARDStorm Babet: FloodingI can give the hon. Gentleman an absolute assurance that we are working very closely with the regional Environment Agencies. In fact, they come to the fore in incidents like this…23 Oct 2023HANSARDStorm Babet: FloodingI hear what my hon. Friend says. That is why we will be working closely with DLUHC on what is possible to help local authorities with the clear-up. Derbyshire has been really…23 Oct 2023