It is down to local authorities whether they feel it right to increase council tax. As I said, the increase that has been built into the figures is 1.3%,
which is currently the rate of inflation, and that does not factor in, as I said, an increase up to the...
It is down to local authorities whether they feel it right to increase council tax. As I said, the increase that has been built into the figures is 1.3%,
which is currently the rate of inflation, and that does not factor in, as I said, an increase up to the...
I agree with my hon. Friend and I will come to that.
It is worrying that, despite all the work that has taken place over the last 10 years, we are still receiving anecdotal evidence from farmers that they are under strain from prices. My hon. Friend the Member for St...
I agree with my hon. Friend and I will come to that.
It is worrying that, despite all the work that has taken place over the last 10 years, we are still receiving anecdotal evidence from farmers that they are under strain from prices. My hon. Friend the Member for St...
“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”.
(UNFAO definition, World Food Summit, 1996)
Food security covers a broad spectrum of issues from food prices to food fraud. However, the House of Commons Westminster Hall debate on 6 January 2015 is expected to centre upon food security in relation to the resilience of the farming industry in relation to recent market conditions and the impact of this on the overall food security of the UK.
This Library briefing covers recent farming issues as well as the wider policy context of food security.
Food security depends on being able to source food from a variety of countries with a diversity of supply enhancing security by spreading risks, widening options and keeping prices competitive.
Food supply in the UK is classed by the Government as a critical national infrastructure (CNI) sector. Defra leads on the policy and prepares a sector resilience plan annually. The overall planning process is co-ordinated by the Contingency Planning Secretariat in the Cabinet Office
Over half of the food consumed in the UK is UK grown and the nation has a good diversity of suppliers from Europe and around the globe. However, it is widely acknowledged that there an opportunity for the UK to import less indigenous fruit and vegetables. The UK only supplied 23% of its fruit and vegetable needs in 2014.
There is no universally agreed, optimum level of self-sufficiency. Too much reliance on domestic production increases vulnerability to price and weather shocks.
The UK Government considers UK food supply to be resilient because of the size, diversity, and strong contingency planning in the food industry sectors which has responded well to potential disruptions to supply in recent years e.g. flooding.
Farming unions across the UK called two crisis summits this summer to highlight how current, global market volatility is affected UK dairy and lamb farmers particularly. Defra statistics from October 2015 confirmed a decline in the profitability of almost all farming sectors between March 2014 and February 2015.[1] However, the long term outlook e.g. for dairy is good with strong exports and global growth in the sector.
Assistance to UK farmers this year has included:
UK farming unions continue to highlight the need for longer term contracts to aid resilience to market volatility and mandatory country of origin labelling for dairy produce to promote British produce. They would also like to see the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) expanded to cover indirect suppliers (e.g. only around 3% of farmers directly supply milk to retailers). The UK Government is due to review the remit of the GCA in 2016 and a change in remit is supported by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA).
The EFRA Committee has considered all aspects of UK food security in its reports, Food Security (June 2014), Food Security: Demand, Consumption and Waste (January 2015), Securing food supplies up to 2050: the challenges faced by the UK (2009)
The Committee has highlighted that the UK currently enjoys a high level of food security, but that this situation will not last unless the Government plans now for future changes in UK weather patterns and the changing global demand for food.
The Committee on Climate Change's latest report to Parliament, 2015 Progress in Preparing for Climate Change: 2015 Report to Parliament (June 2015) highlights that there has been a decline in investment in England into research and development of new approaches and technologies that would boost the resilience of agriculture and forestry to climate change.
The UK Government published a UK Strategy for Agricultural Technologies in July 2013 developed with the scientific community and the food and farming industry. This is part of the overall industry strategy.
The UK Government and Devolved Administrations co-ordinate research through the UK Global Food Security programme
[1] Defra, Farm business income by type of farm in England 2014/15, 29 October 2015
“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”.
(UNFAO definition, World Food Summit, 1996)
Food security covers a broad spectrum of issues from...
With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the European Council meeting that took place before Christmas. The Council focused on three issues: migration, terrorism and the UK’s renegotiation. I will take each in turn.
First, on migration, even in winter there are still many migrants coming...
With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the European Council meeting that took place before Christmas. The Council focused on three issues: migration, terrorism and the UK’s renegotiation. I will take each in turn.
First, on migration, even in winter there are still many migrants coming...
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of large-scale indoor dairies in the UK.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of large-scale indoor dairies in the UK.
I recognise that the issue of large-scale dairy farming has sparked considerable debate because of its perceived impact on the environment, the welfare of cows and the potential impact on small dairy farms.
The UK’s animal welfare and environmental standards are among the highest in the world. All operational livestock farms must comply with relevant UK law, including comprehensive animal health and welfare, and environmental legislation. These apply equally to all livestock farms, regardless of scale. So long as these standards are met, the Government recognises that the UK market has a place for different production methods that will collectively enable the industry to be competitive on UK, EU and global markets.
Increasing the size of herds does not mean reducing animal welfare. More important factors are the design and construction of the units; and the level of management and skill of the stockmen.
Rather than getting into the detail of what may happen with the garden bridge, let me say that I would prefer to see that money reallocated to a series of other existing and necessary capital investment projects. If my hon. Friend will forgive me, I think the priority is Harrow,...
Rather than getting into the detail of what may happen with the garden bridge, let me say that I would prefer to see that money reallocated to a series of other existing and necessary capital investment projects. If my hon. Friend will forgive me, I think the priority is Harrow,...
I thank the Minister for his replies to many of my specific questions and the manner in which he approached his winding-up speech. I particularly welcome the fact that he will consider prioritising the Metropolitan line in the letter of agreement that he will sign with Transport for London following...
I thank the Minister for his replies to many of my specific questions and the manner in which he approached his winding-up speech. I particularly welcome the fact that he will consider prioritising the Metropolitan line in the letter of agreement that he will sign with Transport for London following...
Before the noble Lord moves on to his next point—I am sure he has many more—does he agree that this convention, this conference, or whatever it is, can talk until the cows come home about one aspect of what we have in Clause 2, namely, the electoral regime for the...
Before the noble Lord moves on to his next point—I am sure he has many more—does he agree that this convention, this conference, or whatever it is, can talk until the cows come home about one aspect of what we have in Clause 2, namely, the electoral regime for the...
My Lords, when you find yourself slightly further down the list of speakers, you look at your briefing notes and suddenly realise that
most of your points have been mentioned. Therefore, I am afraid that I will repeat some of the points that have already been made.
I have danced to...
My Lords, when you find yourself slightly further down the list of speakers, you look at your briefing notes and suddenly realise that
most of your points have been mentioned. Therefore, I am afraid that I will repeat some of the points that have already been made.
I have danced to...
I am very grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken. It has been a remarkably well-informed and genuine debate, where Peers have
responded to what others have said. Sometimes it does not work like that. I think the message that has gone to the Minister has been pretty overwhelming....
I am very grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken. It has been a remarkably well-informed and genuine debate, where Peers have
responded to what others have said. Sometimes it does not work like that. I think the message that has gone to the Minister has been pretty overwhelming....
I thank my hon. Friend for making that point, which illustrates how the existing arrangements are unsatisfactory and in some cases ineffective, which is why they need to be updated.
Birds die gradually from lead poisoning, but die they do. The WWT found that one in four migratory swans seen at...
I thank my hon. Friend for making that point, which illustrates how the existing arrangements are unsatisfactory and in some cases ineffective, which is why they need to be updated.
Birds die gradually from lead poisoning, but die they do. The WWT found that one in four migratory swans seen at...
We work with Ofcom to record what we regard as a notspot or partial notspot. We have an agreed signal strength with the operators, and we have had a robust debate about whether it should be -83 dBm or -98 dBm, but Ofcom provides the imprimatur, as it were, of...
We work with Ofcom to record what we regard as a notspot or partial notspot. We have an agreed signal strength with the operators, and we have had a robust debate about whether it should be -83 dBm or -98 dBm, but Ofcom provides the imprimatur, as it were, of...
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The Bill was introduced by a former hon. Member for Cheltenham in an earlier Parliament, but it was not debated. We have taken it on and amended it. This will not be a blanket ban for pavement parking. In medieval or older town and...
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The Bill was introduced by a former hon. Member for Cheltenham in an earlier Parliament, but it was not debated. We have taken it on and amended it. This will not be a blanket ban for pavement parking. In medieval or older town and...
English is my first language, and I, too, find it very difficult to understand fully the wording of the Act. That is not the only reason, but it is another reason why we need this update. Let us not forget that the Bill comes after very extensive, independent reviews, such...
English is my first language, and I, too, find it very difficult to understand fully the wording of the Act. That is not the only reason, but it is another reason why we need this update. Let us not forget that the Bill comes after very extensive, independent reviews, such...
It is a great pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Ealing Central and Acton (Dr Huq). A lot of the points she made were very poignant, especially in this debate on how we amend legislation to compensate businesses or individuals, or even where there has been damage to a...
It is a great pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Ealing Central and Acton (Dr Huq). A lot of the points she made were very poignant, especially in this debate on how we amend legislation to compensate businesses or individuals, or even where there has been damage to a...
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. When I continue my remarks, he will find that I cover that.
Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries provides the NHS with one in six of its prescription medicines, making it the NHS’s largest supplier of generic drugs. It is leading the world in the development of...
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. When I continue my remarks, he will find that I cover that.
Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries provides the NHS with one in six of its prescription medicines, making it the NHS’s largest supplier of generic drugs. It is leading the world in the development of...
I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his remarks, and it was a pleasure to be with him last night at the England-France football match where there was a tremendous display of solidarity. I am sure that they can sing the Marseillaise louder in the Stade de France, but I think we did a pretty good job yesterday, and I was proud to be there.
The right hon. Gentleman is right to say that there is never any justification for terrorism, and we should be clear about that right across the House and at all times. He asked specifically what more we can do to help British people who are caught up in these problems, and Peter Ricketts, our ambassador in France, has done a brilliant job with his staff. I have been keeping a close eye on the consular situation, and I think that everything that can be done is being done.
Our travel advice is all on the Foreign Office website, but I agree with the right hon. Gentleman that the most important thing is for people to carry on with their lives. It is important that the Eurostar continues to function, that flights continue to go, and that people continue to travel and to enjoy London and Paris. We must continue going about our business. As we do so, yes, we need enhanced security, and that is happening in the way that the police are acting in the UK and elsewhere. One way to defeat terrorism, however, is to show the terrorists that we will not be cowed.
I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his remarks, and it was a pleasure to be with him last night at the England-France football match where there was a tremendous display of solidarity. I am sure that they can sing the Marseillaise louder in the Stade de France, but I think we did a pretty good job yesterday, and I was proud to be there.
The right hon. Gentleman is right to say that there is never any justification for terrorism, and we should be clear about that right across the House and at all times. He asked specifically what more we can do to help British people who are caught up in these problems, and Peter Ricketts, our ambassador in France, has done a brilliant job with his staff. I have been keeping a close eye on the consular situation, and I think that everything that can be done is being done.
Our travel advice is all on the Foreign Office website, but I agree with the right hon. Gentleman that the most important thing is for people to carry on with their lives. It is important that the Eurostar continues to function, that flights continue to go, and that people continue to travel and to enjoy London and Paris. We must continue going about our business. As we do so, yes, we need enhanced security, and that is happening in the way that the police are acting in the UK and elsewhere. One way to defeat terrorism, however, is to show the terrorists that we will not be cowed.
Let me start by expressing the horror of all Opposition Members at the events in Paris on Friday evening, and our continued solidarity with the victims and all those affected by conflict and terrorism, whether in Paris, Beirut, Ankara, Damascus or anywhere else in the world. Nothing can justify the targeting of innocent civilians by anyone.
We know that at least one British national has been killed, and many more injured. Many British people live and work in Paris, and millions visit Paris and France every year. Will the Prime Minister continue what he was saying in response to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool South (Mr Marsden) about the support given to British nationals affected by the attacks, and will he say what the Government’s latest advice is for those travelling to France, and speak about our need to show the best possible normality in our relations with the French people?
My Lords, it is a great pleasure and an honour to follow my noble friend Lord Polak—I am not sure he can hear me as his left ear is to this side—particularly after a maiden speech that was remarkable for both its humaneness and its humility.
The tone he struck...
My Lords, it is a great pleasure and an honour to follow my noble friend Lord Polak—I am not sure he can hear me as his left ear is to this side—particularly after a maiden speech that was remarkable for both its humaneness and its humility.
The tone he struck...
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