Business of the House
Alison Bennett Excerpts(2 weeks, 1 day ago)
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Lucy Powell
I thought for a moment that my hon. Friend was going to ask me to do some wassailing; I would need to look it up and get some training. I will absolutely support her in promoting these great English traditions, and all the great work that is happening in Grimsby to keep them alive. I am sure that it would make a very good topic for a debate.
Alison Bennett (Mid Sussex) (LD)
I, too, am delighted that wassailing has been mentioned, because there was a wassail in my village of Hurstpierpoint last Saturday.
Constituents across Mid Sussex really enjoy and appreciate having access to our coastline and seas, and they rightly expect our oceans to be clean and healthy. The UN global ocean treaty is the world’s only road map for protecting at least a third of the world’s oceans by 2030. The UK has committed to ratifying the treaty, but the next step is for the Government to introduce a short Bill to pass it into UK law. Will the Leader of the House please update us on when the Government plan to introduce the legislation?
Lucy Powell
I am sure that, like me, the hon. Member received many specially written Christmas cards urging us to consider introducing that legislation, so this is something I am very much aware of. She will know that we are committed to ratifying the agreement, and legislation will be brought forward in due course. I cannot give her a more specific timetable, but the legislation will be brought forward before we need to have ratified the treaty.