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, 3 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.