Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Mann and James Paice

Thursday 5th July 2012 Commons Chamber

[John Mann (Bassetlaw) (Lab)]

The Youth Hostels Association does a brilliant job of getting kids from the cities out into the countryside. Will the Secretary of State look at how her Department can assist the organisation in expanding that vital work?

[Mr Paice]

I assure the hon. Gentleman that DEFRA regards the issue of building bridges between people from our cities and the countryside as extremely important, which is why we are involved with a number of different schemes. I cannot give the hon. Gentleman a direct answer about links with the Youth Hostels Association, but I assure him that I or one of my colleagues will be happy to have a meeting with the YHA.

Public Bodies Bill [Lords]

Debate between Lord Mann and James Paice

Tuesday 25th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Paice]

We have had a number of speeches on these new clauses and amendments which I shall try to address. I have to say that for the hon. Member for Harrow West (Mr Thomas) to say that the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board is a major issue in the countryside demonstrates a serious lack of understanding about the issues that face the countryside. For the Opposition to talk about rural poverty after 13 years in office in which rural poverty got worse and worse year by year, with nearly everything they did being an attack on rural communities, smacks of hypocrisy.

I am one of those, and I suspect there are others in the House, who has at some stage had their wages set by the Agricultural Wages Board. I am not quite going back to 1948, but getting close to then. However, I recognise that the world has changed. Back in 1948, there were tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, more farm workers. Most of them were horsemen, because horses were the main force of traction in those days. The world has moved on. Farm workers are not the forelock-tugging yokels that many Opposition Members seem to think.

[John Mann]

That is an insult.

[Mr Paice]

It is not an insult. If it is an insult, it is an insult to Opposition Members who have been using that sort of analogy to show the relationship between modern-day farmers and their work force.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Mann and James Paice

Thursday 24th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Paice]

The latest statistics we have are from a survey done in February. As I have said, there will be a further report shortly, but the latest statistics show that 25% of farmers had already taken measures under the campaign and that another 50% plan to do so in the near future.

[John Mann (Bassetlaw) (Lab)]

8. What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the Health Protection Agency’s investigation of the potential for mushroom composting to cause or exacerbate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

[The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr James Paice)]

The local primary care trust has been investigating the concerns that the hon. Gentleman has raised previously about possible health impacts from the mushroom composting plant in his constituency. I understand that its report is due in the next few weeks.

[John Mann]

If the report says there is a link of any kind, will the Minister act immediately to ensure that the health and well-being of my constituents and others is immediately protected?

[Mr Paice]

I cannot forecast what might come out in the report, so I am not going to make any commitments as to what the Government might do afterwards, but I can tell the hon. Gentleman that, as I am sure he is aware, the preliminary findings of the PCT investigation show no links between the mushroom composting plant and incidences of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the locality.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Paice]

My hon. Friend puts his finger on a key regulation for which I cannot find any sensible justification. Nevertheless, it is in place, but I plan to speak to the relevant commissioner about it in Luxembourg next week.

[John Mann (Bassetlaw) (Lab)]

T5. Will there be any cuts in taxpayers’ subsidies to farmers in 2011 and in the consequential four years?