My Lords, this has been an absorbing debate once again. I thank my noble friend for her Amendment 35. I shall address Amendments 75, 56, 60, 69, 71, 36 and 92, all of which relate to food production. I declare my farming interests as set out in the register.
This debate has thrown up quite a number of questions, and those that I am not in a position to answer—very often because they require some detail—I shall, of course, answer in writing in a letter that I am proposing to compose when we conclude Committee stage. Because a lot of things are coming up that are repeated quite often, it would be best if we try to co-ordinate with a sensible government response. I hope that is acceptable to your Lordships.
Growing healthy, nutritious food is, of course, the primary role of farmers. It is something that farmers in the United Kingdom do exceptionally well. Through the purposes in Clause 1, the Government want to support goods that benefit society but are not currently provided for by the market. The noble Baroness, Lady Jones of Whitchurch, is absolutely right: I said it at Second Reading and I say it again. The point about food, in contrast, is that it can be bought and traded: it is rewarded in the market and, indeed, those of us who farm receive income from our production. That is why, in the construction of the Bill, new Clause 1(4)—I say “new Clause”, because I think this is a very important addition and one I strongly support—places a duty on the Secretary of State, when framing any financial assistance scheme, to consider the importance of food production and its production in an environmentally sustainable way. This was a point raised by the noble Earl, Lord Devon, and my noble friend Lord Northbrook.
I absolutely agree with the analysis of my noble friends Lord Inglewood and Lord Cormack of what this country and much of the world has gone through in previous times, and why food production is so important. It is important for this country, but also for giving us opportunities to help feed the world through our exports. That is essential too, and it is why I say to my noble friend Lord Marlesford that food production and environmental sustainability not only can but must —I underline “must”—go hand in hand. We should be champions of great British food and drink and I place on record that farmers have, all too often, been maligned. I am reminded of what the noble Lord, Lord Carrington, said on an earlier Committee day about all the things that farmers do on our behalf.
The duty requires the Secretary of State to have “regard to the need” to encourage sustainable production, rather than simply “to encourage” sustainable production, when designing financial assistance schemes. This is because all schemes must be looked at in the round; each scheme will have different aims and will operate in different ways. While the Government’s future farming schemes as a whole will be designed to encourage
sustainable food production, it is not necessarily the case that every scheme is directly aiming to do so. I have one example—the tree health pilot which will start next year—but the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Butler-Sloss, spoke of another aspect of a scheme which clearly does not directly relate to food production.
The duty, as drafted, gives Ministers the flexibility to design individual schemes in a way which best meets their objectives, while ensuring that there is a clear obligation to encourage sustainable food production overall. The noble Lord, Lord Judd, among many others, spoke of health and well-being. I was very struck by his words. Indeed, the important report that the noble Baroness, Lady Ritchie of Downpatrick, and the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Albans raised, Hungry for Change, is very important, because this will involve multiple departments. I am therefore very pleased to say that I will make sure that Defra will play a key part in that multi-departmental response.
The Government believe that the best place to encourage healthy eating is later on in the supply chain, a point that my noble friends Lord Caithness and Lord Blencathra were referring to: after all, fruit and vegetables can still be used in products that are unhealthy if not taken in moderation. I know that it may be unsatisfactory to noble Lords who see this as an opportunity to attach to the Bill something that we think is best placed in other work, but it is the intention that the national food strategy should address these major challenges, including food security and health. The strategy will build on the Bill to help ensure that our food system delivers healthy and affordable food for all, built on a resilient and sustainable agriculture sector.
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The noble Baroness, Lady Bennett, raised the UN sustainable development goals. The Government are committed to achieving the principles set out in the goals. It is our intention to report on this under Clause 17(2)(d). I was struck also by other points that have been made. Yes, there is a dilemma. We all wish that there were no food banks because people did not need recourse to them. These are often an important part of volunteering and civic society. The Government spend £95 billion per year on the welfare budget supporting those who face food insecurity. This Bill, the national food strategy and other existing initiatives to encourage the consumption of healthy food will work together to ensure that citizens have a steady supply of healthy, home-grown, sustainable food.
As a farmer, I am obviously keen that we produce food, and more of it. The most recent available statistics indicate that we produce 64% of our entire food supply. That figure rises to 77% for food that we can grow or rear here in the UK for all or part of the year. The noble Baroness, Lady Jones of Whitchurch, suggested that these figures are not steady, but my understanding is that they have been steady for about the last 20 years. The Government are also making significant investments in schools to promote physical activity and healthy eating, through our Healthy Start, school fruit and vegetable and nursery milk schemes.
The provisions in this Bill are designed to ensure that our farmers and growers receive targeted support to create a farming system that provides food produced
to high environmental and animal welfare standards. Clause 1(1)(f) already—I stress “already”—allows the Government to give financial assistance to protect or improve the health or welfare of livestock. We will use this power to develop schemes to tackle endemic diseases; these schemes will support a responsible reduction in antimicrobials and other veterinary medicines. I very much endorse what the noble Lord, Lord Trees, said. My understanding is that there is, overall, a 53% reduction in the use of antibiotics. This point was also made by my noble friend Lady Neville-Rolfe.
I was privileged to go to Washington with the former Chief Medical Officer and Chief Veterinary Officer to talk about what this country is doing to reduce the use of antibiotics and the concerns around microbial resistance; as I said, it was a great privilege to go with Dame Sally Davies and Christine Middlemiss. It is acknowledged around the world—even if not, perhaps, by some of your Lordships—that this country is leading on this matter.
On the use of farming chemicals and pesticides, we are already committed to protecting people and the environment from the risks that these products can pose. Strict regulation permits the sale and use of pesticides only through scientific assessment that shows that they will not harm people or pose unacceptable risks. We wish to reduce any risks and encourage the uptake of alternatives and new technology.
With regard to Amendment 47, Clause 1(2) enables support for the enhanced productivity of plant-based production. I think there is a balance to this. I agree with my noble friend Lord Blencathra, the noble Lord, Lord Rooker, who speaks with great experience, and the noble Earl, Lord Devon. I think personally that the British livestock sector offers a great contribution both in relation to food and to our landscapes. The iconic landscapes of so many of our national parks and other beautiful places, uplands and lowlands, are due to livestock farming. If anyone needs a clue as to what I think about the importance of benign livestock farming in this country, I have said a great deal. I am also reminded of recent reports about protein and the contribution that meat, as part of a mixed diet, makes to protein intake.
With regard to Amendment 46, I can assure the noble Baroness that we already have stringent methods and guidance in place as part of public procurement policy. The government buying standards for food and catering services—GBSF—applies to all food and catering services provided by central government departments and their executive agencies. This guidance sets out the minimum standards that must be adhered to if something is procured via Crown commercial services, including a requirement that:
“All food served must be produced in a way that meets UK legislative standards for animal welfare, or equivalent standards.”
My noble friend Lord Naseby, the noble Lord, Lord Thomas of Gresford, and other noble Lords spoke of horticulture and green energy. The Government are currently considering the best way to support the horticulture sector and we will be working with the industry to design a replacement fruit and vegetable aid scheme. This includes looking at the use of innovative
methods of production, such as the use of sustainable energy, which is a very important point to bear in mind and work on.
I turn to Amendments 53 and 63. The Government recognise that there are opportunities to produce food in urban areas. They are also committed to encouraging sustainable food production. Clause 1(2) could provide new opportunities for growing food, for instance on marginal land or through new techniques such as vertical farming. I note what the noble Lord, Lord Carrington, said about opportunities in that regard and what my noble friend Lord Holmes of Richmond said—I would be interested to see his technology report. I think that these are some of the great innovation opportunities that we should grasp, and they are where we will get much advice from the research funding that will come from different sources.
I should also say that I have made many visits to allotments and this is a matter where local authorities should have responsibility, but if anyone would like me to use this opportunity to proclaim the importance of allotments, I take that opportunity now. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, and others for raising the importance of community projects, not only for working together but also for producing nutritious food.
On the supply issue raised by the noble Lords, Lord Bruce and Lord Adonis, and my noble friend Lord Cormack, the Government have well-established ways of working with the food industry during situations with the potential to disrupt supply. Indeed, as I think I said at Second Reading, I have direct experience of working within the department in recent weeks with retailers and farmers on ensuring that there is food for the nation. We are doing extensive work with industry to prepare, including the launch of the UK’s New Start: Let’s Get Going campaign this week, which includes border operating models.
I say to the noble Lord, Lord Adonis, that we have done quite of lot and I would like to write to him because the list is pretty extensive. However, the Government will make appropriate regulatory interventions —as we have done during the recent Covid crisis and continue to do—such as the food supply information clause in the Covid-19 Bill. However, I would like to write because we did many things in terms of drivers’ hours and derogations to ensure that food supply came through, which I would like noble Lords to know about.
In connection with the national food strategy, I take all the points made about the importance of food security; it is why Clause 17, which we will debate, is in the Bill and why food security is absolutely acknowledged as a key part and a key feature of this Bill, as indeed is Clause 1(4).
I restate my point about wanting this to be undertaken through the national food strategy, which is not to suggest for one minute that it is not important; it is absolutely key to how this country becomes healthier. It is absolutely essential that we ensure that the young generation and older generations find ways of becoming fitter because one thing that is very clear, I am afraid, is that underlying health issues have been a major issue in this recent crisis. It is an imperative and why I think the national food strategy will be absolutely imperative. I have not seen it; it is an independent report and that is the important part about it.
For all the succeeding elements of the food discussions we will have in Committee and beyond, I will ensure that Henry Dimbleby has sight of the extracts from Hansard on all the groups that involve what I would call the national food strategy work and what we want him to do by way of enhancing health and ensuring healthy eating, which is absolutely fundamental to our improved national life. To pick up the words of the noble Lord, Lord Judd, health and well-being from food are absolutely key to the success of our nation.
With that explanation of how and why we have drafted the Bill in the way we have, I will look at Hansard because I am conscious that there may be some issues of detail I may not have properly addressed. I have always liked to have a tradition of trying to mention everyone’s name, rather like the noble Baroness, Lady Jones of Whitchurch. With the speaking lists we have, I am afraid that in getting this Bill through I will have to breach a tradition I have so cherished; it is not a discourtesy. I hope that on this occasion my noble friend Lady McIntosh will feel able to withdraw her amendment.