Small Farms and Family Businesses

Baroness Cumberlege Excerpts

Thursday 12th December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Cumberlege (Con) (Valedictory Speech)]

My Lords, it gives me great pleasure to follow the noble Baroness’s interesting speech, for which I thank her.

Farming should be a really important subject of concern. In this country, we are 50% reliant on food from abroad. The Government may well stock vaccines for pandemics, increase GP numbers and cut health service waiting lists—all moves to appease critics—but we must never forget that the first essentials for life are food and water.

I have lived in tied houses on a farm that my husband managed. I witnessed the collapse of 10 smaller farms, now incorporated into one big unit, which, like so many industries, has had to change. The farm is now highly mechanised and efficient, but the margins are tiny.

I think the policy of taxing large, efficient farms out of existence in an uncertain world is wholly ill-conceived. These enterprises will become fragmented. Less efficient farmers have already been reclassified as not being working people. How come? I know from experience that producing food is a seven-day-a-week job.

While my husband farmed, I was able to bring about some changes in the NHS—for instance, giving nurses the right to be practitioners and to prescribe. That was part of women’s liberation, as well as using the workforce much more effectively.

We closed great, out-of-date Victorian mental institutions. So-called fallen women, handicapped people and others with shell shock lived in those institutions. I thought that was a poor existence, so we did close them and put the people into the community—or gave them an opportunity to be in the community.

With friends, I started one of the first rural playgroups for children aged under five. The playgroups were opposed at the time by a formidable neighbour who had no children of her own, and I was told by her in no uncertain terms, “Mothers should look after their own children, day and night”. Well, some of us did to some extent, while some of us had relatives who were very forgiving and who took part in bringing up my children.

Changes are important. I remember clearly going to boarding school at the age of eight, and the first question I was asked was, “My dear, where is your ration book?” Today there is a belief that food will always be plentiful and affordable. However, that is really not a sustainable policy for the long term. Would any Government expect manufacturers to close or sell off part of their factory? That is what they expect the agricultural industry to do. Their policy is that the expected shortfalls will be made up by imports from abroad.

We should remember the thousands who lost their lives in the wartime convoys trying to bring food to Britain as the population—including MPs and Ministers—drift further away from farming roots, in the knowledge that many people will have scant ability to grow food. We must support farmers, and it is time for food to be priced realistically.

I beg noble Lords’ patience for just a minute. It is no secret that this is the last formal occasion that I have to say a few words in your Lordships’ House in this wonderful Chamber. I want to thank so many—the army of secretaries, advisers, professional staff and, not least, all the Members of this House. I have learned so much from all my colleagues and I have enjoyed my time here. I am truly grateful for the debates, the incisive questions and the contributions made by all noble Lords that enrich all our debates.

Of course, with regrets, I leave. But I know that this House is in very good hands and I look forward with excitement to reading Hansard—did you know that Hansard can be exciting?—and discovering the progress on some of the subjects that really are so dear to my heart.

[Noble Lords]

Hear, hear!