Contributions
852 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDDirect Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillIt will be important for the estate agent in question to follow developments relating to the transition to a new system of farm support in England. I will outline that later in my…21 Jan 2020HANSARDDirect Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillThe hon. Gentleman makes an important point about farmers’ need for certainty and continuity, which is one of the reasons why we have brought forward this Bill today. That is also…21 Jan 2020HANSARDDirect Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillThe Bill is a vital stepping stone to getting us to the transition period in 2021, when we will start to introduce our national pilot for the environmental land management…21 Jan 2020HANSARDDirect Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillI give way to the Chairman of the Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.21 Jan 2020HANSARDDirect Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillMy hon. Friend is correct to say that taking over domestic responsibility for the payments means that the currency fluctuation, which has had such a significant impact in past…21 Jan 2020HANSARDDirect Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillMy hon. Friend will be pleased to hear that clause 1 of the Agriculture Bill, which Parliament will have the chance to consider very soon, does recognise the importance of access…21 Jan 2020HANSARDDirect Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillIn setting out the seven-year transition period, we have recognised the concerns that my hon. Friend raises about the need for a multi-annual period. We will be providing further…21 Jan 2020HANSARDDirect Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillI hear what the hon. Lady says. Clearly, there have been difficulties in the past, but I would say that the RPA’s performance in recent months has been better than for many years,…21 Jan 2020HANSARDDirect Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillMy hon. Friend makes a strong point. We believe that our new system of farm support can work for farmers and our environment. We believe that we can do a thousand times better…21 Jan 2020HANSARDDirect Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillWe will be looking carefully at all aspects of the scheme. This is a hugely challenging thing to deliver, which is why we will phase it in over seven years. Of course, it is…21 Jan 2020HANSARDAgriculture BillToday, I am introducing the Government’s landmark Agriculture Bill to the House of Commons. This Bill delivers a new settlement for agriculture and those involved in this vital…16 Jan 2020HANSARDWaste CrimeI am not sure that I could go quite that far. Certainly, in providing extra resources for the Environment Agency, we are absolutely determined to crack down on this deeply…31 Oct 2019HANSARDPlastic PollutionTo tackle plastic pollution, we have introduced a world-leading microbeads ban, reduced single-use plastic bag usage by 90% in the main supermarkets, and launched the Commonwealth…31 Oct 2019HANSARDAnimal CrueltyMay I join others, Mr Speaker, in thanking you and your chaplain for your service to the House? You have been particularly kind in enabling me to raise from the Back Benches many…31 Oct 2019HANSARDAnimal CrueltyWe will be pressing ahead with the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill so that horrific crimes like that can meet with the appropriate punishment. We are consulting on compulsory…31 Oct 2019HANSARDAnimal CrueltyI can give the hon. Gentleman the assurance that, when a Conservative Government are returned to serve in this House, the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill will be back on the…31 Oct 2019HANSARDAnimal CrueltyAs my right hon. Friend the Minister of State has said, we believe that it is crucial for all our laws to be properly enforced, including the Hunting Act, and we will continue to…31 Oct 2019HANSARDAnimal CrueltyI can of course give my right hon. Friend that assurance. This is a worrying problem, and we are keen to engage with the charities that are involved in trying to address the…31 Oct 2019HANSARDPlastic PollutionMy hon. Friend is correct: current levels of plastic pollution are intolerable, and the Government are determined to tackle them. We will be introducing a system to incentivise…31 Oct 2019HANSARDPlastic PollutionOur Environment Bill provides the opportunity for future Governments to set targets on the use of resources and recycling. Reducing the need for single-use plastics is an…31 Oct 2019