In what was surely the last Defra question time before the general election, the government was urged to adopt the policies of the NFU’s own manifesto for farming.
Sir Nicholas Winterton MP (Mansfield, Con) called on the government to support ‘the seven policy statements in the National Farmers Union manifesto’, which he said would bring about ‘the conditions in which family farms can improve both their production and their income and, thus, make a great contribution to the economy and food production in this country’.
The food and farming minister, Jim Fitzpatrick, acknowledged the important role the NFU’s manifesto will play in the upcoming election and stated that they would obviously be considering the policy recommendations in advance.
Much of the rest of the session in the Commons was dominated by food and farming issues. And the Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, used the opportunity to announce that the injectable badger vaccine has been approved by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. This means that the six demonstration projects previously announced can go ahead in the summer.
Food Procurement
Stephen Crabb MP (Preseli Pembrokeshire, Con) attacked the government for failing to back British farmers when it came to public sector food procurement. He questioned why recent figures showed a decline in overall food procurement, and in particular why NHS procurement had ‘dropped sharply’.
Responding, Jim Fitzpatrick said that he did not recognise the picture painted by Mr Crabb, pointing out that ‘13 out of 21 departments have increased the amount of home-grown food that they serve as a percentage of all food supplied’. However, he added he believed there would be ‘further progress this year’.
Shadow Secretary of State Nick Herbert accused the minister of spinning the figures but fooling no-one. The reality, he explained, was that ‘the government are sourcing a declining proportion of British food—less British poultry, less British beef, less British lamb and less British pork.
‘Some departments are not buying a single rasher of British bacon,’ he said.
Rural Payments Agency
Jim Fitzpatrick was later questioned on the latest EU fines for late payments by the Rural Payments Agency which, it was pointed out by John Barron MP (Billericay, Con), amounted to £90 million. The minister explained that the government certainly did not want to pay unnecessary fines to Brussels and had made sure that the RPA’s performance has improved year on year.
The Lib Dem Spokesman, Tim Farron, asked whether government would intervene directly to ensure immediate interim payments to farmers who have not yet received their SPS payment.
Hilary Benn made clear that while interim payments create some difficulties, the government and RPA have always made it very clear that if farmers are genuinely in dire circumstances they should contact the RPA ‘and we will see what we can do’.
Cider and the Budget
Bill Wiggin MP (Leominster, Con) expressed his anger over the Chancellor’s Budget announcement yesterday that duty on cider would increase by 10% above inflation. ‘How will the minister ever persuade anyone to take anything he says about British agriculture seriously again,’ he exclaimed.
Mr Fitzpatrick defended the decision pointing out that, while he understood concerns, cider producers had historically paid lower rates than other producers. ‘The rate that they will now pay is about half that paid on beer,’ he noted. He also explained that the smallest UK cider producers will remain exempt from the duty increase, as they are subject to a small cider makers’ exemption, which applies to makers who produce less than 7,000 litres a year.
Skills document
Shadow farming minister James Paice, criticised a government document on ‘skills’, released last week, which said that both agriculture and the food sector are of low economic significance. Mr Paice asked the minister if he knew ‘how damning that was after 13 years of Labour government?’.
Responding, Mr Fitzpatrick argued that he did recognise the significance and importance of the food-agri sector to the UK economy. He went on to list the rural development programme, attempts to reform the common agricultural policy and investment in both the skills agenda and research and development as evidence for this.
Other issues discussed during the question time included the grocery market ombudsman, the select committee report on Dairy Farmers’ of Britain and anaerobic digestion.
To read a transcript of the debate click here, or to watch it click here.
No comments have been made.