King’s Speech

Lord Curry of Kirkharle Excerpts

Thursday 18th July 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Curry of Kirkharle (CB)]

My Lords, I add my congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, and the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman of Ullock, on their appointments as Ministers. It is very good news indeed.

I wish to address a number of issues related to agricultural and environmental policy. My interests are recorded n the register, but I draw the House’s attention to my trusteeship of Clinton Devon Estates and to the fact that I chair Food and Farming Futures. I am a member of the NFU and CLA.

I will first comment on the land use framework. I very much welcome the Government’s commitment to publishing a framework. I was on the Land Use in England Committee of this House and encourage the Ministers to revisit the report, which we on the committee believe provides a very helpful list of important recommendations. I would like to mention two particular issues.

First, there is a need to include food security as a key priority within the land use framework. I very much welcome the Government’s commitment, repeated by the Minister this morning, that food security is national security. I look forward to seeing how that commitment will be reflected in policy changes and what might be proposed.

As far as the land use framework is concerned, it is essential that the quality of land and its potential to contribute to the production of food is taken into account when planning permission is sought for developments. I appreciate the Government’s desire to get Britain building again and the need to help stimulate economic growth through their housing ambition, but there is a potential conflict between raiding the green belt to build more houses and a commitment to food security. Much green-belt land is of high quality and could be essential for the production of food in future. It is often too easy to see green belt as a cheaper alternative to the development of brownfield sites, but if an impact assessment were to include the long-term effects of climate change and the loss of food production from these sites, the outcome might look very different.

Many would argue that a relatively small percentage of our total landmass is required, but climate change and the impact of extreme weather events are seriously challenging our ability to grow crops in many geographical areas. Conventional farming practices are under threat, and we need to protect the areas that are capable of providing food in future. However important they may be, housing developments, infrastructure projects, the planting of trees, biodiversity net gain and solar panels are removing a significant area of productive farmland, which is definitely impacting our ability to be self-sufficient. Local authorities need to draft local plans that take this into account, and planners must be clear about it when granting permission for development. Food security must be a planning priority. I would be interested in the Minister’s response on this issue.

The second issue relating to the land use framework is that of governance. We members of the committee were concerned about the discipline required in implementing the framework once it is released. It will require complete buy-in from all government departments and commitment from all mayoral combined authorities and local authorities. That is a huge task that will require serious oversight. We recommend in our report that a commission be established to provide that accountability. I would be interested to hear how the Government plan to deliver on that requirement.

The next topic to mention is the environmental land management scheme, which was introduced by the previous Government to transition from the support provided by the EU’s common agricultural policy. The sustainable farming incentive is a key part of ELMS. It has been evolving over the past three years, and it needs to evolve further. I would be interested to hear from the Minister whether the new Government are committed to the policy they have inherited and what changes, if any, they wish to make.

There is a deep concern among many farmers, particularly those farming in the pastoral and upland areas of England, that the SFI does not currently recognise the economic, environmental and social value of these family farms. Many feel threatened by the pace of change. I request that Defra review the options available within the SFI to make sure that family farms in critical landscapes are provided with appropriate options within the scheme. I shall give the House an example that could have unintended consequences. Under the current options, it is financially advantageous for livestock farms to plough out valuable permanent pasture and sow it with a flower-rich meadow mixture. That cannot be right.

Investment in science and skills is also hugely important for the agricultural and horticultural sectors. The Minister may be aware that I was involved in the establishment of TIAH—the Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture —to improve skills across the sector, and that Defra has been very supportive, for which I am grateful. I also continue to work closely with the science community. We are on the brink of a technology and data revolution in these important sectors, and I hope that the Government will recognise that we cannot deliver economic growth and improve our productivity without investment. For too long we have lagged behind our global competitors; our productivity record is not good enough. But we have the capability to regain that position as global leaders, provided that we invest in skills and the application and delivery of scientific knowledge.

Farmers and growers are proud of their record and have always been willing to embrace change, but they need a sense of direction. Everyone in agriculture is fully aware that we are on a pacy journey but there is no clear destination or vision. It will be good if the Government share the ambition of the agricultural and horticultural industries and are willing to work in partnership to define what “good” would look like in 10 years’ time. We stand by, ready to help, and look forward to working with the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman, on this. I very much support the contribution of the noble Baroness, Lady Harris, who appeared on screen earlier.

I have two final issues to refer to. The first is the Government’s ambition to source 50% of public sector food from domestic suppliers, mentioned by the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Albans. Of course, I very much welcome that ambition—but we have been down this road before. Under the previous Labour Government, the noble Lord, Lord Whitty—who is not in his seat—and I made significant progress on sourcing sustainable local food for the public sector: schools, hospitals, prisons and departmental catering contracts. It is very worth while, but it is hard work. Importantly, the Government need to be aware that it will have financial implications. Can we please look back at the lessons learned from our former efforts, and consult the noble Lord, Lord Whitty?

I commend the Government’s ambition to review our trading relationship with the European Union. We need much easier access to European markets than we currently have for our high-quality produce, and I wish the negotiators well. As a former chair of the Better Regulation Executive, I was disappointed that the previous Government did not deliver sufficiently on their promise to reduce regulatory burdens following our decision to leave the EU. To reduce the burden of regulation at the same time as renegotiating a new deal with the EU will be tricky, but it needs to be done. I would be interested to hear from the Minister what the Government’s plans are in this respect. Having negotiated international trade deals that could potentially disadvantage our farmers and growers, and at the same time having limited access to our nearest market, is a double whammy for our industry. We have a great opportunity to market our produce around the world using our high standards of environmental management and animal welfare. We need a supportive Government to realise these opportunities.