Debates between Baroness Young of Old Scone and Baroness Hayman of Ullock during the 2024 Parliament

Flooding

Debate between Baroness Young of Old Scone and Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Tuesday 7th January 2025

(2 weeks, 2 days ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Baroness Hayman of Ullock Portrait Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

The noble Lord asks an important question, because future resilience is going to be critical, particularly as we will have more incidents such as this due to climate change. That is why it is so important that we have set up the Floods Resilience Taskforce. The idea behind that is to bring together everybody who has a genuine understanding and a mutual interest in trying to resolve these issues for the long term, not just for the short term. Part of the problem is that often we have looked at short-term solutions. Part of the work of the Floods Resilience Taskforce is to get a better understanding so we can build exactly the kind of long-term plans that the noble Lord is talking about.

Baroness Young of Old Scone Portrait Baroness Young of Old Scone (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

I welcome the Minister’s Statement, but I have some questions that are relevant to the fact that the noble Lord just mentioned, which is that extreme weather events are becoming more extreme and more frequent. We are going to be building many more houses in the future, and the rules on housing development in the flood plain or in areas of high flood risk are simply not working at the moment. Each annual report shows a small number of developments in the flood plain going ahead against Environment Agency advice, but that gives a false impression, because in reality many more new properties are being built in the flood plain that are at real risk of flooding. Does the Minister agree that rules about development in the flood plain or in areas of high surface water flooding risk urgently need to be reviewed? Will she commit to do so to make sure that the planned major programme of housebuilding is not simply putting more and more people and properties at risk?

Baroness Hayman of Ullock Portrait Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

Clearly, we have planning legislation coming forward. One thing we are doing in Defra is working closely with MHCLG around the future development of planning, particularly as we have ambitious plans for building a large number of homes that are so desperately needed. As part of the new home strategy that we have at the moment, we have committed to ensure that we are building more high-quality, better-designed, sustainable homes and creating places that increase climate resilience and promote nature recovery. It is important that, when we plan, we also look at the impact on the environment, and that clearly includes the impact on flooding.

The Government are committed to consider whether changes are required to manage flood risk, coastal change and sustainable drainage systems provision through the planning system when we consult on further planning reform, including a set of national policies that are related to decision-making in this area. Where development needs to be in locations where there is a risk of flooding because no alternative sites are available, we are stressing that developments should be flood resilient and resistant, safe for a lifetime and should not increase flood risk overall. The problem you can have is that, if you do not look at this properly in the round, you can build a house that potentially could flood, so you put in place resilience measures and, as the noble Baroness said, they push the water on to another estate that has not flooded before. So it is really important that we look at this carefully in the round.

--- Later in debate ---
Baroness Hayman of Ullock Portrait Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

I am sure the noble Baroness is aware that one thing we have been looking at as a Government is more devolution to local areas. As part of that, it is important that we look at how best we can support our local communities, because it is always those communities that pick things up when you have problems like this. Supporting local communities, whether that is our local authorities, our parish councils or our town councils, is a really important part of the work that we need to do.

Domestic Animals: Welfare

Debate between Baroness Young of Old Scone and Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Monday 16th December 2024

(1 month, 1 week ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Baroness Hayman of Ullock Portrait Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

My Lords, the licensing of activities involving animal regulations requires anyone in the business of breeding and selling cats to have a licence, and they must meet statutory minimum welfare standards. The noble Lord makes some very good points about recent practices that are not acceptable. Defra has been working on a post-implementation review of the regulations, which will be published shortly. We are also carefully considering the recommendations in EFRA’s report on pet welfare and abuse, and the Animal Welfare Committee’s opinion on feline breeding, which will also be published soon.

Baroness Young of Old Scone Portrait Baroness Young of Old Scone (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

My Lords, can the Minister assure us that the Government will find time during this Session to reform the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, which is already 60 years old and rather showing its age? A fundamental improvement to the welfare of domestic animals would be to bring up to date the legislation regulating veterinary medicine and particularly veterinary medical practices, which are currently not formally regulated. That would enable the public—and indeed the animals—to be assured that veterinary medicine, and veterinary practices in particular, will provide modern, high standards of care. The Competition and Markets Authority is looking at this issue, and an update is long overdue. Can the Minister assure me that she will provide time for that legislation?

Baroness Hayman of Ullock Portrait Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

We will of course continue to support the vital work of the veterinary profession, and I acknowledge the veterinary workforce’s commitment and dedication to animal health and welfare. My noble friend makes a good point, and we are very aware of calls to reform the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, which is now very old. Defra is talking to key stakeholders and different veterinary groups to explore the best way to support the profession, and we are looking at the legislation.

Independent Water Commission

Debate between Baroness Young of Old Scone and Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Tuesday 29th October 2024

(2 months, 3 weeks ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Baroness Hayman of Ullock Portrait Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

My understanding is that the whole structure of the regulator and anything around how effectively it has been working will be open for the commission to discuss. My understanding is also that we are not committed to any particular structure going forward and that the commission will look at the whole thing right across the board.

Baroness Young of Old Scone Portrait Baroness Young of Old Scone (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

Can the Minister reassure the House on the scope and delivery of the commission? I very much appreciate that this commission is being established and that it has got such a wide remit. It very specifically says in the account of the scope and delivery that the commission will be asked to work within the framework of the UK carbon budgets and the targets of the Climate Change Act, but it does not give a concomitant assurance that it will also have to meet the requirements of the Environment Act, including the legally binding biodiversity targets in particular. Can the noble Baroness reassure us on that matter—that it will be part of the remit?

Baroness Hayman of Ullock Portrait Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

The noble Baroness is right that it specifically refers to the UK carbon budget framework and the Climate Change Act. We discussed this very briefly in the Water (Special Measures) Bill yesterday during the environment amendments. The biodiversity targets set within the Environment Act are certainly ways to deliver the changes that we need and I suggest that anything that is currently in law is something that the commission would be discussing.