Oral Answers to Questions

Jeremy Lefroy Excerpts

Thursday 24th November 2011 Commons Chamber

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

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for that question, because we are very conscious that the uncertainties of the EU proposals on common agricultural policy reform are causing some landowners and farmers to worry about their stewardship payments. May I, though her and the House, assure everybody involved that the Government are determined to continue with our stewardship schemes, both higher level and entry level, and will do everything in our power to ensure that that happens? We are at an early stage of the negotiations, but we are determined that somehow—either through a transfer of money from pillar one to pillar two, or perhaps through the greening element of pillar one—we shall maintain those excellent schemes.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

T6. What discussions has my right hon. Friend had with Latin American colleagues to prepare for the forthcoming international conferences in Durban and Rio?

[Mrs Spelman]

I have had two in particular. I met Brazil’s Environment Minister, Izabella Teixeira, during negotiations in Nagoya, and as Brazil is the host nation I went down there to help the Brazilians with preparations for Rio plus 20 next year, and most recently, as the House will be well aware, we had a visit from the Colombian President and the Environment Minister, Frank Pearl, whom I met at the Department with a proposal for sustainable development goals, to which we have given our support in principle.