To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dairy farms in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK have ceased to operate in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dairy farms in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK have ceased to operate in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
DEFRA does not collect figures on the number of farm businesses leaving the dairy sector each year. Figures from the June Survey of Agriculture only indicate activity on registered holdings in England at June each year and therefore show net change only.
The number of commercial holdings1 where dairy is the predominant activity are shown in the following table for 2009-12 in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire and
England. We are unable to provide comparable figures for 2008 due to a database maintenance and updating exercise.1 Commercial holdings are those with significant levels of farming activity. These significant levels are classified as any holding with more than five hectares of agricultural land, one hectare of orchards, 0.5 hectares of vegetables or 0.1 hectares of protected crops, or more than 10 cows, 50 pigs, 20 sheep, 20 goats or 1,000 poultry.
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| Ribble
Valley | 108 | 100 | 97 | 91 |
| Lancashire | 513 | 487 | 468 | 449 |
| England | 8,190 | 7,882 | 7,609 | 7,276 |
| Source: June Survey of Agriculture |
Data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the devolved Administrations.
I support amendments 158, 176 and 177, which have been tabled by the Joint Committee on Human Rights. I am not sure that they go far enough, but they are what we have before us.
On amendment 158, my anxiety relates to the wording in clause 1. It almost legislates for...
I support amendments 158, 176 and 177, which have been tabled by the Joint Committee on Human Rights. I am not sure that they go far enough, but they are what we have before us.
On amendment 158, my anxiety relates to the wording in clause 1. It almost legislates for...
It is unfortunate that the Deputy Leader of the House has not had the opportunity to address my very important amendments 2 and 3, which were part of this group of amendments. I very much support the hon. Member for Nottingham North (Mr Allen) and we will support him in...
It is unfortunate that the Deputy Leader of the House has not had the opportunity to address my very important amendments 2 and 3, which were part of this group of amendments. I very much support the hon. Member for Nottingham North (Mr Allen) and we will support him in...
I would like to update hon. Members on the main items of business undertaken by my Department since the House rose for conference recess on 13 September.
Supporting shoppers and local shops
We are determined make the country the best place to start and grow a business. The coalition Government are...
I would like to update hon. Members on the main items of business undertaken by my Department since the House rose for conference recess on 13 September.
Supporting shoppers and local shops
We are determined make the country the best place to start and grow a business. The coalition Government are...
My right honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Eric Pickles) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I would like to update hon. Members on the main items of business undertaken by my Department since the House rose for Conference Recess on 13 September.
Supporting shoppers...
My right honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Eric Pickles) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I would like to update hon. Members on the main items of business undertaken by my Department since the House rose for Conference Recess on 13 September.
Supporting shoppers...
It is a pleasure, as ever, to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Howarth. It is nice to open this debate in a characteristically packed Westminster Hall.
This is an important debate, because whenever the broader public debate turns to the somewhat thorny subject of pension provision, a contrast inevitably tends to...
It is a pleasure, as ever, to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Howarth. It is nice to open this debate in a characteristically packed Westminster Hall.
This is an important debate, because whenever the broader public debate turns to the somewhat thorny subject of pension provision, a contrast inevitably tends to...
My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow my fellow member of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, the noble Lord, Lord Lawson, who played an invaluable and steadfast role. I also congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Kramer, the noble Lord, Lord Turnbull, and the most reverend Primate the Archbishop...
My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow my fellow member of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, the noble Lord, Lord Lawson, who played an invaluable and steadfast role. I also congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Kramer, the noble Lord, Lord Turnbull, and the most reverend Primate the Archbishop...
The right hon. Member may well have asked a very valid question. As I was saying, such a plant produces about a third of the gas over a 20-year period that a fracking well would produce over 7.5 years, but anaerobic digestion plants will produce gas continuously because the cows...
The right hon. Member may well have asked a very valid question. As I was saying, such a plant produces about a third of the gas over a 20-year period that a fracking well would produce over 7.5 years, but anaerobic digestion plants will produce gas continuously because the cows...
My Lords, like the noble Lord, Lord Deben, when I read this I thought that it was a very elegantly phrased and simple set of provisions that are very easy to understand and could go a long way to sorting things out. Having thought about it a bit more, I...
My Lords, like the noble Lord, Lord Deben, when I read this I thought that it was a very elegantly phrased and simple set of provisions that are very easy to understand and could go a long way to sorting things out. Having thought about it a bit more, I...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alan.
I will start by making it clear that I am not here to deny the pressing need for alternative energy sources, and I am in no doubt about the threats that we face from the twin hazards of peak oil...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alan.
I will start by making it clear that I am not here to deny the pressing need for alternative energy sources, and I am in no doubt about the threats that we face from the twin hazards of peak oil...
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention, but of course my comment was on the beauty or otherwise of Hinkley Point, as the hon. Member for South East Cornwall (Sheryll Murray) discussed. My point was that I do not believe that Hinkley Point is in any way beautiful, nor...
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention, but of course my comment was on the beauty or otherwise of Hinkley Point, as the hon. Member for South East Cornwall (Sheryll Murray) discussed. My point was that I do not believe that Hinkley Point is in any way beautiful, nor...
My understanding is that Michael Eavis is the largest private provider, but if I am incorrect, I stand that comment aside. None the less, he is a significant provider of solar energy, and it is to his credit that he has taken that move. Looking from the top of the...
My understanding is that Michael Eavis is the largest private provider, but if I am incorrect, I stand that comment aside. None the less, he is a significant provider of solar energy, and it is to his credit that he has taken that move. Looking from the top of the...
My Lords, it gives me great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Rix, whose work for Mencap is widely admired throughout this country and beyond. I congratulate to the noble Lord, Lord Patel, not only on securing this debate at such a propitious time—the 60th anniversary of the National...
My Lords, it gives me great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Rix, whose work for Mencap is widely admired throughout this country and beyond. I congratulate to the noble Lord, Lord Patel, not only on securing this debate at such a propitious time—the 60th anniversary of the National...
My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Truro. My own remarks will be focused on rather different areas of the spending review. I was unable to be in the House when the Minister repeated the Chancellor’s spending round Statement, so I am...
My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Truro. My own remarks will be focused on rather different areas of the spending review. I was unable to be in the House when the Minister repeated the Chancellor’s spending round Statement, so I am...
I would like to start this debate with two quotations. The first is as follows:
“Relief varied…theoretically graduated according to the recipient’s power of earning his own living. As usual, the deserving poor were crowded out by the idle and worthless.”
The second quotation refers to
“the shift-worker, leaving home in the dark...
I would like to start this debate with two quotations. The first is as follows:
“Relief varied…theoretically graduated according to the recipient’s power of earning his own living. As usual, the deserving poor were crowded out by the idle and worthless.”
The second quotation refers to
“the shift-worker, leaving home in the dark...
My Lords, this is one of those debates in which you discover that you agree with most if not all of what has been said but that even the one point you have that you thought was going to be unique has already been touched on by someone. In this...
My Lords, this is one of those debates in which you discover that you agree with most if not all of what has been said but that even the one point you have that you thought was going to be unique has already been touched on by someone. In this...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent of the Schmallenberg virus in (a) sheep and (b) cattle; what assessment he has made of whether the virus should be made notifiable; and if he will make a statement.
[157323]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent of the Schmallenberg virus in (a) sheep and (b) cattle; what assessment he has made of whether the virus should be made notifiable; and if he will make a statement.
[157323]
DEFRA funded surveillance over the summer of 2012 identified that the virus had spread across all rural counties in England and Wales. While many animals and farms in GB may have been infected, clinical signs in adult sheep and beef cattle to date have been non-existent. The signs in dairy cattle of a raised temperature, reduced milk yield and in some cases diarrhoea are mild/moderate, short-lived and similar to other endemic diseases due to their non-specific nature. In an individual dairy cow, these mild clinical signs may last up to five days and across the herd as a whole for several weeks. The main impact is in pregnancy on the developing foetus. The virus attacks the developing neurological system and limbs of foetal lambs or calves resulting in malformations such as domed heads, fixed bent limbs and jaw deformities. The affected newborns are often born dead or die shortly after birth. Birthing may be difficult due to the foetal limb presentation and care needs to be taken in assisting the mother, seeking veterinary assistance as appropriate. Post partum aftercare should be provided as with any other difficult birth.
In considering if a disease should be made notifiable, there needs to be a clear value benefiting disease control in the placing of additional burden on farmers and Government. In terms of control measures, preventing vector spread is very difficult and therefore not a realistic control measure. A vaccine has very recently received provisional marketing authorisation and will be available for use by farmers this summer in advance of the next sheep breeding period. The onus would lie with the farmer to report suspicion of disease and then for Government to intervene. The impact of Schmallenberg virus has to date been shown to be low at a national level, with farms infected showing 2% to 5% of malformed lambs or calves affected and as such, there is no rationale for intervening. Some early lambing flocks where mating periods are synchronised have seen greater impacts. These will now be able to be protected by vaccination. This is a disease with few defined clinical signs in adult animals, making detection difficult. By the time clinical signs are seen in offspring, it is too late to control. It is also possible that notifiying presence of disease on a farm may complicate trade, both with the UK, the EU and for third country partners.
We therefore consider that making Schmallenberg virus notifiable would be over burdensome and not proportionate to the disease impact. The decision was taken in full consultation with industry and the European Commission.
My Lords, I, too, am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Lexden, for initiating this debate. Like all other noble Lords here, I am pleased that the Defamation Act has passed into law. I look forward to its commencement and the publication of its regulations. I am, however, dismayed that...
My Lords, I, too, am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Lexden, for initiating this debate. Like all other noble Lords here, I am pleased that the Defamation Act has passed into law. I look forward to its commencement and the publication of its regulations. I am, however, dismayed that...
The shadow Minister raises an interesting issue about not only carbon sequestration but the management of grassland, but not only Welsh White cattle are important in that regard; there is an argument that sheep do not do the same job on certain pasture land as suckler cows and beef cattle...
The shadow Minister raises an interesting issue about not only carbon sequestration but the management of grassland, but not only Welsh White cattle are important in that regard; there is an argument that sheep do not do the same job on certain pasture land as suckler cows and beef cattle...
It is difficult to justify having these wonderful animals if they have no purpose. One key point is that if we did not have a healthy, nutrient-rich diet, largely from meat, it would be hard to justify having these wonderful breeds, from many different parts of the United Kingdom, which...
It is difficult to justify having these wonderful animals if they have no purpose. One key point is that if we did not have a healthy, nutrient-rich diet, largely from meat, it would be hard to justify having these wonderful breeds, from many different parts of the United Kingdom, which...
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