Oral Answers to Questions Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateJames MacCleary
Main Page: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)Department Debates - View all James MacCleary's debates with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(2 days, 17 hours ago)
Commons ChamberI commend my hon. Friend for his successful championing of this issue on behalf of his constituents. I know how much it means to his community to have such boats removed. It is an important issue, and I am more than happy to follow up with the Canal & River Trust in order to understand if it needs any additional tools to continue and complete this work around the country.
The hon. Gentleman raises a very important point, and I visited an abattoir last week. Because of the changes to the system over a number of years, we have seen a concentration of these facilities. We all want to see more small abattoirs. The previous Government introduced a fund, but it proved difficult to get uptake. There is a whole range of serious issues. We are very aware of the problem, and we want to work with him and others to solve it.