Fisheries Bill [HL]

Earl of Courtown Excerpts

Wednesday 17th June 2020 Lords Chamber

[The Earl of Courtown]

That the amendments for the Report stage be marshalled and considered in the following order:

Clauses 1 to 8, Schedule 1, Clauses 9 to 13, Schedule 2, Clauses 14 to 18, Schedule 3, Clauses 19 to 22, Schedule 4, Clauses 23 to 27, Schedule 5, Clauses 28 to 33, Schedule 6, Clause 34 , Schedule 7, Clauses 35 to 42, Schedule 8, Clauses 43 and 44, Schedule 9, Clause 45, Schedule 10, Clauses 46 to 51, Title.

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Gardiner of Kimble, I beg to move the Motion standing in his name on the Order Paper.

Motion agreed.

Peatlands

Earl of Courtown Excerpts

Monday 8th December 2014 Grand Committee

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, along with other noble Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Greaves for instigating this debate. I was particularly interested in hearing about the North York Moors and the thin moors and fat moors. We always learn something in every debate we attend in your Lordships’ House.

My noble friends have drawn attention to the various ways in which the management of the peatland has benefited the environment, from its effect on the ecology and wildlife to possible carbon capture and, last but by no means least, the effect of these lands on water management.

I will specifically mention horticulture, which was touched upon by my noble friend Lord Greaves. I want to look at the relationship between peatlands and horticulture in the United Kingdom and the resultant pressure on these lands from the extraction of peat. As far as I am aware, this extraction, amounting to in the region of 3 million cubic metres, is largely from lowland peat sources, of which, I gather, all but 6% remain from extraction which started in the 1960s. I acknowledge that in the whole scale of things the area involved is not that large. In total, I understand it to be in the region of 960 hectares.

In response to concerns raised by the industry, the Minister’s department set up the Sustainable Growing Media Task Force, which delivered a comprehensive road map to reduce and phase out the use of horticultural peat. The major commitment in Her Majesty’s Government’s response was the phasing out of all peat use in domestic gardens by 2020, and commercially by 2030. Can the Minister tell the Committee whether targets have been met and if this commitment is still achievable? There was also a planned review in the second half of 2015. Is this still going to happen? I also understand that a committee was to be set up to meet on an annual basis. Can my noble friend confirm that this has happened and, if so, have the reports been published?

Having looked at what is on offer to the public, progress has definitely been made on labelling products. No longer can I find bags of compost labelled “low peat”, which can, in fact, contain up to 60% peat. However, having visited a garden centre yesterday, I found 26 different types of compost containing peat at varying amounts, from 70% down to 40%. I asked a member of staff whether any peat-free material was available, and was told there was not; there is obviously still much to be done. There still does not appear to be much evidence of education of the gardening public into the use of peat-free materials, but these must be available for the general public to purchase—not only to those committed individuals who work hard to find them. Over the years, I have used many hundreds of bags of green waste compost, with excellent results; so it is possible to be peat free.

I know that there are documents stating that the issue of peat extraction has been exaggerated by environmentalists, and that the use of lowland peat is acceptable. However, when we have a finite resource, we want to think very carefully about any use that could lead to the reduction of such a natural asset.

Rural Economy

Earl of Courtown Excerpts

Thursday 3rd July 2014 Lords Chamber

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, I join other noble Lords in thanking my noble friend for instigating this important debate on this subject, which, if anything, we should have the opportunity to debate more frequently.

I realise that there is no intention, but sometimes those in the countryside feel let down by the urban majority. If we had had this debate 20 or 30 years ago, it would have concentrated largely on forestry and agriculture. Now, for example, where I live in a rural area of Gloucestershire, we have tourism, manufacturing, IT service industries, mineral extraction and even, in one of our old air bases, the breaking up and recycling of old airliners. This raises the question of whether the rural economy is any different from more urban or traditional manufacturing industrial areas. I would argue that, apart from the environmental capital and the stewardship of agricultural land by the farming community, there is very little difference.

Much has been covered by other noble Lords, so I will try not to repeat too much of what has already been said. We have spoken at some length about broadband. In the past, when we have debates on the economy or the rural economy, I always have asked local businesses what is at the top of their shopping list of what they require for a correct environment in which to make money. In the past 10 years, they have found borrowing difficult or unavailable. Finance has been the big problem. This has prevented investment in SMEs, the backbone of our economy. My right honourable friend the Chancellor’s economic plan is helping these SMEs to thrive. However, the difficulties with access to broadband cannot be underestimated. This morning, I read about a business in Somerset that sells cut flowers and uploads its photos on to the internet. The lady in question was up at 5 am today because it was the only time when she could upload these pictures. I know that supplying faster broadband is a priority for the Government, but where the infrastructure is outdated it will be some years before we gain from faster broadband. This is the key to many of the problems in rural areas. I do not think that there are any plans to renew our local telephone exchange, but I gather that that is one of the reasons why we have very poor broadband at home.

Also mentioned has been the factor of mobile phone coverage. Businesses operating anywhere these days must have mobile phone coverage. Why on earth can I get perfect mobile phone reception at the top of an Alp in Switzerland but if I am on the road between Cirencester and Lechlade, there is no coverage whatever?

The other important thing is logistics, and I have been looking at the transport situation. Where I live we are served well by two motorways and a pretty good train service but, in addition, there is a trans-European road network that stretches from the south of Spain to Ross-on-Wye. Apparently, there is only one two-mile stretch on the whole of that journey that does not have a dual carriageway, between a place called Nettleton Bottom and Birdlip. Here there are daily delays in traffic and, sadly, crashes and fatalities on many occasions. Can my noble friend the Minister update me on any plans for the building and construction of what is known locally as the “missing link”?

Another aspect that has been touched on is tourism and how important it is. It came to my attention earlier today that a family of wild beavers can now be found in Devon. I gather there are plans to move those beavers to an animal park. Surely it would be better to leave them to be examined and used for research in the wild, and to aid tourism in future.

I will finish now, but I look forward to hearing the responses of my noble friend the Minister.

Thames Tideway Tunnel

Earl of Courtown Excerpts

Wednesday 14th May 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord De Mauley]

My Lords, going back to the initial point made by the noble Lord, Lord Berkeley, who talked a bit about green infrastructure and science, we should not lose sight of the fact that these are important tools that will be used, but we cannot manage without the tunnel. In addition to the Environment Agency, a key supporter of the tunnel is a group called Thames Tunnel Now, which describes itself as a coalition of environmental, wildlife and amenity groups promoting the case for the tunnel. Its supporters include key groups such as RSPB, WWF, the London Wildlife Trust, and the Angling Trust.

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, would my noble friend agree that in the past there has been some criticism of civil servants’ management of such contracts? I was wondering what will happen in the future, and what my noble friend aims to do to ensure that such contracts will now be managed in a professional manner.

[Lord De Mauley]

My Lords, I am pleased to say that an early initiative of this Government was to enhance our Civil Service’s ability to lead large projects, and indeed to render that ability on a level with the best of the private sector. We set up the Major Projects Leadership Academy, which is run by the Saïd Business School. I met Defra graduates and those undergoing the course there on Monday this week, and an impressive bunch they are.

Peatlands

Earl of Courtown Excerpts

Wednesday 8th January 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord De Mauley]

My Lords, the noble Lord will not be surprised to hear that I do not have a figure for that, but the gist of his question is entirely right. Peatlands perform an absolutely essential function in ensuring that we have clean and pure water supplies.

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords—

[Viscount Ridley (Con)]

My Lords—

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord De Mauley]

That is a very interesting point, but it strays a little wide of the Question.

[The Earl of Courtown]

I have got there in the end. I am looking at a slightly different part of this Question—at the end user of much of this peat, particularly the horticultural user. Would my noble friend agree that it would be wise for Her Majesty’s Government to look at the labelling of peat products for sale in garden centres, where peat material is sold as being low in peat when at least 50% of it is made up of peat?

[Lord De Mauley]

My Lords, that is an important point, too, because that is essentially—or at least a major reason—why our peatlands have been so badly destroyed in the past. A road map or plan has been produced from the work of the Sustainable Growing Media Task Force, which sets out recommendations on how a transition to sustainable growing media can be achieved. The Government responded in January 2013. As part of that, a growing media panel was established to oversee and co-ordinate delivery of the plan and to report on progress. The policy review will take place in 2015 to assess progress.

Natural Capital Committee

Earl of Courtown Excerpts

Thursday 24th October 2013 Grand Committee

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lady Miller of Chilthorne Domer for initiating this debate. Her speech was very educational, and told me much about natural capital that I did not already know. I read the debate in the Commons earlier this week, and so far today I have learnt a little bit more about it. I look forward to hearing what the noble Lord, Lord Grantchester, and my noble friend the Minister have to say.

In the debate in the Commons on Monday, my right honourable friend the former Secretary of State at Defra, Mrs Spelman, made a very telling and—as expected—well informed speech which emphasised the importance of this subject. She stated:

“We had the lofty ambition … of being the first generation to leave the natural environment in a better state than we inherited”.— [Official Report, Commons, 21/10/13; col. 101.]

This sets the bar very high indeed, but so long as we work towards this aim it must be better for our environment and for the people who come after us.

The United Nations Environment Programme calculated that although overall wealth in the United Kingdom increased up to 2008, during the same period natural capital decreased by 30%. These are similar figures to those already quoted. Much work is required here. It will be interesting to hear my noble friend the Minister’s response to any foreseeable changes in policies relating to natural capital and its future.

As my noble friend said, the White Paper published some years ago also introduced the national ecosystem assessment. This was developed with the help of scientists as a measure of natural capital, which is not an easy job in itself. We must not forget that environmental legislation has done much good. For example, it has transformed watercourses, many of which were very badly polluted but which have now improved in many places throughout the country.

I give another example of how important infrastructure is to natural capital. I had some experience of this in an area of which my noble friend the Minister might be aware, in Priory Vale, north Swindon. There was an extensive development programme there, involving some of the biggest housebuilders in the United Kingdom. I was involved in the planting of native trees, shrubs and hedges, using the old hedge lines and retaining the old hedges and ancient oaks. There are green corridors throughout this development which are so important for the environment, and make it a much more pleasant place to live. There is a lot of benefit from that, which people have been trying to measure as well.

It is welcome to hear that the Natural Capital Committee may be chaired by Professor Dieter Helm. It is relevant to both the Treasury and Defra. The Natural Capital Committee information pack refers to its work programme and in particular to its annual report. It works with Defra, the Office for National Statistics, landowners, academics and the research councils.

I would be grateful if my noble friend the Minister could inform the Grand Committee how the NCC works with other departments. Perhaps he could draw to our attention—I refer to my example of Priory Vale—how the NCC works with planning regulations to ensure that where development does take place the land used is replaced as much as possible with other green areas.

My noble friend reminded me earlier, before we started this debate, about the previous time we were both speaking in this Room, when we were discussing a possible Severn barrage. It is absolutely frightening to think of the debit on the natural capital balance sheet if that project had gone ahead. I look forward to what the noble Lord, Lord Grantchester, and the Minister have to say.

Environment: Plastic Bags

Earl of Courtown Excerpts

Tuesday 14th May 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord De Mauley]

My Lords, we will get on with this expeditiously. There is a lot of action already. I understand that retailers including Marks & Spencer, WHSmith and Lidl have instituted voluntary charges. Sainsbury, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose and Co-operative Food have put carrier bag recycling facilities at the front of their stores. We are providing funding for various projects in the marine environment, where the problem is often at its starkest. Keep Britain Tidy operates the Love Where You Live education and information programme. As I said, we are actively considering a charge on carrier bags based on the experience in the devolved Administrations.

[The Earl of Courtown]

My Lords, will the Minister tell the House what is happening on the other side of the channel in Europe? I know that a number of countries have banned single-use plastic bags, but I wonder whether any other country is using a form of levy.

[Lord De Mauley]

My Lords, I am aware that there is action in countries on the other side of the channel such as France, Spain and Italy. It is worth saying that in 2011 the Commission consulted on a number of possible options for reducing the use of plastic carrier bags. We responded to the consultation and encouraged the Commission to undertake a full cost-benefit analysis as part of the development of options. It has published a response to the consultation and is currently considering its options.