Topical Questions

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

As we have heard, this summer has seen wildfires burning across our countryside. I add my thanks to the emergency services, who were out in force to battle those fires, but so too were farmers, gamekeepers and local volunteers who gave up their time and resources to control the fires and help put them out. I pay tribute to all of them for their selfless bravery and community spirit.

The fires came at the end of a long period of drought. Visiting farms this week and earlier in the summer, I saw for myself how food production has been affected. It is clear that further work is required to support farmers to build on farm reservoirs and irrigation systems that can sustain their businesses through dry periods, and I have invited the NFU to work with me on that. I want to use this opportunity, though, to thank farmers for the outstanding work that they do to feed our country through thick and thin.

As we move into autumn, flooding is once again on the minds of residents in Rossendale and Darwen. This Government have already made vital commitments to our flood defences, but recently some communities have expressed concern that flood modelling is out of date and is either not fully identifying risk areas or identifying risk areas as high risk that no longer are. The Environment Agency is aware of that, so will the Secretary of State join me in urging it urgently to prioritise new modelling?

My hon. Friend makes an important and timely point. Through the floods resilience taskforce, we are looking at how we can update the modelling to make sure that all areas that need protection will get the investment to do it, because far too many communities are exposed to the dangers of flooding. That is why we are investing £4.2 billion between 2026 and 2029 to protect our communities and better maintain our flood defences in England.

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

May I join the Secretary of State and everyone across the Chamber in thanking the fire services, farmers and rural communities for their hard work and bravery in tackling the wildfires that we have seen this summer?

I am heartened to discover the Secretary of State’s new fondness for farmers. We will all be listening carefully to his answer to the next question. With 89% of farmers saying that they have paused or delayed investment because of the Budget, and with food prices rising, record farm closures under his watch, and Labour’s own think tank admitting that the family farm tax needs changing, will he finally do the right thing, put rural communities above his own ambitions and axe the family farm tax?

First, may I welcome the shadow Secretary of State back to the Chamber? It was disappointing that she did not bother to turn up for the water statement; I can only assume that she does not care much about the pollution that her party is responsible for across the country.

When it comes to farming, we are working with the farming sector on a road map to bring it back to profitability. That is the route to ensure that those businesses remain financially viable and successful into the future. It was her Government who left so many farmers on the brink of bankruptcy, so it takes only small problems to push them over the edge. Some 12,000 farms closed under the previous Government. We are working with the sector to make it profitable for the future.

I hate to break it to the Secretary of State, but I suspect I have spoken to far more farmers than he has in the past 12 months. They do not believe a word he says, because he betrayed what he said to them before the election about the family farm tax. As for this road map, if farms continue to close—more than half of farmers are thinking of giving up in the next five years because of this Government’s plan—it will be a road map to nowhere. Yesterday, the Governor of the Bank of England told the Treasury Committee that the rise in food prices was due in part to measures in the last Budget placing higher costs on food businesses. In light of that and the terrible summer harvest, will the Secretary of State do farmers a favour for once and rule out a new wealth tax on farmland in the next Budget—yes or no?

The causes of food price inflation include rising global energy prices, extreme weather events that have been affecting harvests, as we have already heard, and global supply chain problems, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Those things are affecting food prices right across the country. As part of the road map, we are working with farmers to ensure more supply chain fairness, so that the producer of origin gets a fairer share of the money that is made through the system for the food that they grow. That is the best way in which we can support farms to get their fair share of the revenue that comes in for the food they produce.

T2. In my constituency, producers such as Longley farm exemplify British quality. Its dairy products are globally renowned. What specific steps is the Department taking to prioritise the purchase and promotion of British produce, ensuring support for domestic farmers, reducing food miles and strengthening the UK’s food security and rural economy?

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and we should all be proud of high quality British producers like Longley farm. That is why, back in July, I announced our food strategy, which will build pride in British food by ensuring we have a food system that backs British food, grows the economy, feeds the nation, nourishes individuals and protects the planet—now and in the future.

T3. Brits chew 4 billion pieces of plastic chewing gum each year. A single piece releases thousands of microplastics into the body that are linked to cancer, diabetes and strokes. Will the Government consider commissioning independent research into the environmental and health implications of plastic chewing gum?

I thank the hon. Lady for her important question, and I share her concern about the risks that microplastics may pose to the environment and human health. That is why we are looking at all sources of pollution that enter our rivers, lakes and seas, but there is obviously more work to be done to improve our understanding. The Environment Agency is collaborating with different sectors, including the water industry and National Highways, to increase our evidence base and knowledge of these materials.

May I also express my disappointment about the global plastics treaty? We were unable to reach an international agreement, but I reassure all Members of the House that the Government remain committed to seeking a global solution to the problem of plastic pollution that we all face.

T4.  Erewash’s industrial base was built on the Erewash canal, which is now a lovely leisure spot for my constituents. But abandoned boats, like the two near Sandiacre lock that sat rotting for over two years, pose serious risks to public safety and local wildlife. I was very glad to work recently with the Canal & River Trust to get those two boats removed. Can the Minister advise how we can support the Canal & River Trust in the future with the tools that it needs to get similar boats removed in a more timely manner?

I commend my hon. Friend for his successful championing of this issue on behalf of his constituents. I know how much it means to his community to have such boats removed. It is an important issue, and I am more than happy to follow up with the Canal & River Trust in order to understand if it needs any additional tools to continue and complete this work around the country.

T5. I recently spoke to David, who farms near the village of Berwick in my constituency. He told me that he has recently given up raising livestock altogether due to the lack of local abattoirs—his nearest option is well over an hour away. What action are the Government taking to support new and existing abattoirs, so that farmers across the country who are in a similar situation to David do not stop raising livestock too?

The hon. Gentleman raises a very important point, and I visited an abattoir last week. Because of the changes to the system over a number of years, we have seen a concentration of these facilities. We all want to see more small abattoirs. The previous Government introduced a fund, but it proved difficult to get uptake. There is a whole range of serious issues. We are very aware of the problem, and we want to work with him and others to solve it.

T7.   In the last few days, I have had a huge number of emails from constituents about continued sewage discharge into our otherwise beautiful seas and the shocking record of Southern Water on this issue. I noted earlier that the Secretary of State said he had been to Bournemouth a couple of times, but can he come a little further down the coast, visit my constituency, and set out what this Government are doing to clean up our waters and hold Southern Water to account?

Well, I was not far away a couple of weeks ago—I was down in Lewes. I congratulate my hon. Friend on being such a powerful campaigner on issues relating to sewage in his constituency. He tells me that he has brought together a group of campaigners. I would be delighted to meet him and them to see some of the problems and talk about how we can start to fix the appalling problems with pollution that the Conservative party has landed us with.

T8. We are joined in the Gallery by farmers from my constituency of Newbury. It is the fifth time they have come to the House with the intent of lobbying individual Labour MPs to try to stop the family farm tax. Will the Secretary of State agree to meet the farmers from my constituency or to attend the Berkshire county show in just a couple of weeks’ time, so that he can explain to them directly why the Government believe that having an inheritance tax on farms is the right way forward, rather than protecting the rural economy?

I am always happy to meet farmers. That is why I have visited two farms already this week and sat down with a group of six farmers to talk about their concerns. I am more than happy to make sure that the people the hon. Gentleman has visiting get an appropriate meeting to discuss their concerns.