Flooding: Agricultural Areas

Debate between Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean and Lord De Mauley

Monday 3rd March 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord De Mauley]

Before I answer my noble friend’s question, I remind the House that I have a farm and that I am not unfamiliar with being flooded. The £10 million farming recovery fund will help farm businesses bring flooded agricultural land back into production as quickly as possible. In addition, £10 million is available under the farming and forestry improvement scheme—part of the rural development programme—which will provide support for farm business resilience. One hundred per cent rate relief is available to flooded businesses for three months. There are also, more generally, grants of up to £5,000 for households and businesses in affected areas to improve resilience of premises to future flooding.

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean (Lab)]

My Lords, I declare an interest as my own village, Vernham Dean in rural Hampshire, has been very badly affected by the flooding. In our village, some householders have been told that although their insurance is valid if there is rising river water, it is invalid if flooding is as a result of rising water through the water table. This is preposterous on the part of insurance companies. Will the noble Lord do everything he can to ensure that insurance companies live up to their responsibilities to the people who have been paying their dues?

[Lord De Mauley]

First, I extend my sympathy to the residents of the noble Baroness’s village and, indeed, the many other people who have suffered as a result of flooding in the last couple of months. I suspect that the specific answer to the question she raises is that unfortunately it depends on the drafting of the specific insurance contract. However, I sympathise strongly and I assure her that we are looking very carefully at the issue of insurance—as she will know—particularly in the context of the Water Bill currently before your Lordships.

Badgers

Debate between Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean and Lord De Mauley

Wednesday 9th October 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord De Mauley]

I am grateful for that question because it gives me the opportunity to say that work by Professor Crystl Donnelly has shown that as much as 50% of the incidence of TB in high-risk areas can be attributed to badgers.

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean (Lab)]

My Lords, does not the Minister have to reflect on the point raised by the noble Lord, Lord May? We were told by the experts that there were 2,700 badgers in the area concerned, and we are now told that the experts think there were actually fewer than 1,400. If the experts who supported the policy got the numbers so wrong in the first place, does that not undermine public confidence in the policy as a whole?

[Lord De Mauley]

I do not think that it should. Our policy is evidence-based and we have taken every opportunity to acquire the latest and most up-to-date information from the pilot areas to refine the estimate of the badger population. All wildlife population estimates have uncertainty around them. Appropriate steps were taken to audit the process, including data checks and independent audits of these figures.

Aerospace Industry

Debate between Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean and Lord De Mauley

Monday 5th December 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord De Mauley]

That is also an extremely important point. We have invested £1.3 billion in apprenticeships this year and another £180 million in funding adult apprenticeships to deliver 250,000 more apprenticeships over the spending review period than was previously planned, and £250 million has been allocated to develop the vocational training that businesses need. We are making it easier for small employers to take on young apprentices, and we are working with the lead trade association ADS and the sector skills group SEMTA to secure the skills and competencies and make aerospace the industry of choice for the workforce of tomorrow.

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean]

My Lords, the Minister was somewhat ambivalent earlier on in answering the question about whether the Government would take on the Joint Strike Fighter. Will he assure the House that in making any decision on this point, the Government will fully take into account the enormous amount of money that has already been spent by the Government, and indeed the previous Government, in investing in the future of the Joint Strike Fighter?

[Lord De Mauley]

My Lords, I am sorry if I appeared ambivalent. The noble Baroness is quite right and, yes, I will.