Food Prices: Agricultural Policy
Debate between Lord Bird and Lord Gardiner of Kimble(3 years, 8 months ago)
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Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con) [V]
My Lords, we have set up the UK agricultural support framework precisely to ensure that there is non-legislative collaboration and co-operation on agricultural support between the four UK Administrations. We will continue with this effective co-ordination and dialogue, so that the internal market of the UK is secure.
Lord Bird (CB)
Does the Minister agree that a low- wage economy is one reason why we have food poverty? If we look at the agricultural industry, we see some of the lowest wages in the UK. How are we going to square that one? We want cheap food, but we want it by having cheap labour in the countryside.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con) [V]
My Lords, agricultural innovation will make a considerable difference to the qualifications and skills of the next generations of agricultural and horticultural workers. This is going to be an area of great expansion.