Horticultural Sector Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Viscount Bridgeman
Main Page: Viscount Bridgeman (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)Department Debates - View all Viscount Bridgeman's debates with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Horticultural Sector
Viscount Bridgeman Excerpts(2 years, 1 month ago)
Grand CommitteeRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Viscount Bridgeman (Con)
My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in the gap. In France, as the noble Lord, Lord Curry, alluded to, there are at least four top-class horticultural institutions. I know of two horticultural institutions in this country that made great use of exchanges of students, up till Brexit. They came very well trained and worked extremely hard; they were very easy to get on with and, most of all, they provided opportunities for their colleagues to come from their respective institutions. The Irish, being a resourceful people, both north and south—I speak obliquely here—have ways in which to address this problem, but it is just not possible on the UK mainland. I hope that the Minister will bring this to the attention of Home Office colleagues, as this is one of the skill areas that needs to be addressed in future negotiations with the European Union.