Topical Questions

Question

I am concerned about ensuring tenant farmers can access future agricultural policies. Will my right hon Friend make a statement on his departmental responsibilities?

Question

I have concerns about the bureaucratic burden being imposed with regard to vessel testing stability, inshore vessel monitoring and the under-10-metre catch app. Will my right hon Friend ensure that obligations on SMEs are proportionate and realistic?

Question

The food industry faces numerous challenges such as inflation, CO2 shortage, feed price increases, and labour shortages which are pushing up costs and prices for consumers. Can the Secretary of State outline what plans there are to tackle these issues?

Question

What is being done to reduce sewage discharges given that investment is down, water companies are heavily in debt, private investment has not followed, and the Environment Agency's funding has been cut?

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Can my right hon Friend update me on the roll-out of future farming schemes in Buckinghamshire?

Question

Given that there are 6.6 million people in food insecurity with insufficient daily food, will my right hon Friend agree that this number could reach 10 million without intervention? Will he meet me and the co-operative movement to discuss solutions?

Question

Will my right hon Friend confirm that there will be financial support to help upgrade fishing vessels and ready them for five and a half years' time when the TCA agreement with the EU ends?

Question

When I met Southern Water to discuss sewage discharges, it said, “Oh, it isn't our fault because we're not in charge of runoffs and there's a mixture of companies that do sewage treatment.” Is it not time to follow the model in Wales and have one water board that is publicly controlled by the consumers, so that there is no more finger pointing in other directions?

Question

Illegal waste sites have been a problem across North Staffordshire, and the number of organisations and agencies involved in regulating waste is allowing unscrupulous actors to go unchecked, so will Ministers look at better regulating waste?

Question

The Government's recent decision to authorise a neonic, bee-destroying pesticide runs contrary to the advice of both the Health and Safety Executive and the Government's expert committee on pesticides. How on earth is this decision compatible with the Government's legal requirement to halt species loss by 2030, and will the Secretary of State look again at this particular decision?

Question

Corbett meadow is a historic piece of land in my constituency and in the draft local plan it has been afforded the same protections as green-belt land. Does my hon. Friend agree that the recommendations should be carried forward into the final plan, not just because the land is our green lungs but for mental health and wellbeing?

Question

The Government promised a White Paper in response to the national food strategy within six months of its publication. That time runs out at the end of this month, so when are we going to see it? Please do not say “shortly” or “soon”.

Question

In this “tree-bilee” year, the Environment Minister knows about Gloucester's huge new project, Hempsted woods, where I hope every child will have the chance to plant a tree. She herself kindly planted an apple tree there last year. Does she agree that it would be very helpful if the Department could publish a crib sheet about how everybody in the country can access new trees to plant this year, as soon as possible?