Oral Answers to Questions

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Thursday 19th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Solicitor General]

The hon. Gentleman is right to highlight these issues in this House. Key to prevention and early intervention is our programme of young futures hubs and prevention partnerships. Our young futures hubs will bring together services to improve the ways that young people can access the support they need, and our prevention partnerships will proactively identify the young people most at risk and map youth service provision to ensure there is a clear understanding of the support available in each area.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

Mr Speaker, I wish you and your team a merry Christmas and a happy new year. I thank you for all your kindness to everyone in this House in the past year. I wish the Solicitor General all the best in her new role.

I share hon. Members’ concerns about knife crime, which is truly horrific. The impact it has on families is great. I have a specific question, so I am happy to receive a written answer. How many under-18s across the United Kingdom in the past 12 months have been: (a) cautioned; (b) charged; and (c) convicted of knife crime offences?

[Mr Speaker]

Good luck with that one!

Water (Special Measures) Bill [Lords]

Jim Shannon Excerpts

2nd reading
Monday 16th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Victoria Atkins]

Of course the constituents’ experience that the hon. Lady has described is not acceptable. I do not think anyone would say that it was. Sometimes the public are switched off by this back and forth, because the idea that anyone would be content with the experience that she has described is for the birds. The difference that we draw on—I hope we will have a much more constructive conversation about water than this—is that the investment that was made by the last Government in flooding has had many benefits across the country but, as I acknowledged at the beginning of my speech, there is more to be done. That is why we will support the Bill, but we will be looking to improve it.

I just want to make sure that the Minister got the point that I was making. The amendment that came from the Lords to improve accountability on debt levels and on the financial structuring of water companies is a critical one, and I very much hope that the Government will address this and set out their commitment to keep that amendment that the noble Lords saw fit to put in the Bill.

As I say, in Committee and beyond, the Conservatives will look to deliver effective and constructive amendments to this Bill, but I put down this marker. It is surprising—and, I have to say, disappointing—that the Government have failed to grasp that water companies and sewage are just two elements in managing, maintaining and improving our waterways and water quality. Where are the plans for investment in infrastructure? Where are the plans for nature-based solutions? Where are the plans for the roles of other businesses? As we face the likelihood of increased bills being announced this week, what guarantees and reassurances can the Government give to bill payers? And what plans do the Government have to separate foul water and surface water systems? That is a critical infrastructure question that I hope we will get some answers to in the coming weeks. How will the Government encourage investment, particularly given the depressive effects on growth that this Chancellor and her Budget are having on the economy?

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I thank the shadow Minister for her words of wisdom in the Chamber tonight. Does she share my concern over the excessive bonuses that the chief executives of these businesses get? Does she know how much that angers and annoys the ordinary person in the street, who wants to know why somebody is getting a six-figure sum for not doing their job right while they are just trying to make ends meet?

[Victoria Atkins]

Of course we understand that, and it is why we put the powers into the Environment Act 2021 that I am sure the hon. Gentleman and many others voted to support. I hope we can move away from this back and forth and understand the facts as they are and how we can improve on them, because that is what we all want.

We all care about the quality of our water. Let us not pretend or suggest otherwise. I would not suggest that Labour Members do not care about the quality of water, and I do not understand why they think we do not care about the quality of the water that we and our constituents use, drink and swim in—[Interruption.] It is interesting—the left do not like it when we point out that they use motivations rather than the facts. This is why the Conservatives set in train the measures needed to make a meaningful and long-term difference to water quality in this country. That task is not yet finished, and we will support thoughtful, sensible and cost-effective measures to further improve water quality.

Financial Inclusion: Rural Areas

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Wednesday 11th December 2024 Westminster Hall

[Anna Sabine]

It will not surprise my hon. Friend to hear that I do agree. I will come on to talk about the criteria that Link uses in allocating banking hubs.

In Frome and East Somerset, an average of £630,000 is withdrawn in cash each month, showing how vital access is for people in these areas. The two main groups most affected by lack of access to cash are the deprived and the elderly. For people on low incomes, cash can act as an effective method to budget efficiently. Many elderly people feel excluded by the increasing reliance on digital services. With BT set to swap from analogue to digital landlines for millions of customers across the UK, there are concerns that that will lead to more isolation for elderly people who rely on landlines for their access to the outside world, and in many rural areas they may not have good broadband or mobile signal either.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I commend the hon. Lady for securing this debate. Unfortunately, in my Strangford constituency, 11 banks have closed, I think, so the impact on rural dwellers is very real. Does the hon. Lady share my concern? If people do not have a bank or the face of someone to talk to, what do they end up doing? They can look towards unregulated moneylending and not receive the appropriate financial advice that they need. With that being the case, the banks and the massive profits they make mean that the ordinary person is suffering even more.

[Anna Sabine]

I totally agree. I had not considered that for my speech, but I will take away unregulated moneylending as a point to note.

Since the Financial Conduct Authority changed its regulations, Link has been able to do some valuable work to provide cash access to local areas. However, I urge the Government to look at how to make the regulations for Link more flexible to allow it to work on a case-by-case basis, as the current criteria do not take into account certain geographical and other barriers that affect rural areas. We know that 93% of people live within 1 mile of an ATM, which on paper sounds good, but it does not take into account issues that might come up in rural areas. For example, if someone lives in a village or hamlet, that 1-mile walk might have no safe walking routes and no bus connection. That is why we want to see the legislation expanded to include specific geographical, physical and societal barriers, so that they are taken into consideration.

Waste and Recycling

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Monday 9th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Matt Vickers]

I am glad to hear that. Hopefully Stockton’s Labour borough council can learn some lessons from Wales, because we have some of the most shambolic recycling rates in the entire country. There will be lessons to learn for Stockton-on-Tees borough council. Extended producer responsibilities will cut waste and move costs away from local authorities and taxpayers.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I commend the hon. Gentleman on securing this debate. When it comes to records and what is being done well, I think we should recognise that my own local council is near the very top of the recycling charts in Northern Ireland, although there is still much to be achieved, of course. Does the hon. Gentleman not agree that to reach all our local government targets, and if we want to be good stewards of what we have, more support must be available to supply bigger recycling bins to customers? Further to that, does he agree that we should ask the Minister to provide help to councils to enable them to do even more with recycling?

[Matt Vickers]

The hon. Gentleman is entirely right. The receptacles that we recycle in are a game changer. In Stockton, we have these disposable bags that disappear off down the road whenever it is windy, never to be seen again. Having the right recycling receptacles is important. As a country, we need to look to the councils that do it well, learn the lessons and roll out best practice.

The previous Government kick-started plans for a comprehensive deposit return scheme. It is estimated that UK consumers go through about 14 billion plastic drinks bottles and 9 billion drinks cans every single year, often contributing to our litter epidemic.

Biosecurity

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Wednesday 4th December 2024 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

It is an absolute pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dame Siobhain, and to see you in your place once again. I thank the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Ben Goldsborough) for leading the debate on this important issue. I also see the chair of the all-party parliamentary group, the hon. Member for York Outer (Mr Charters), in his place, and I look forward to his contribution. It used to be the eggs, pigs and poultry APPG, and then it was elevated to biodiversity, which I hope was a positive move in the right direction—I always thought eggs, pigs and poultry were more exciting, but that is by the way.

The remit for biosecurity is shared across Government, and the Cabinet Office leads on cross-cutting strategy and preparation. However, some policies on biosecurity are devolved and fall under the remit of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs back home in Northern Ireland, so it is important that we discuss these things here in their totality.

I commend the Minister—I am glad to see him in his place—because one of the first things he did when Labour got into power was go to all of the regions of the United Kingdom. I admire him for that, because it showed a Minister who clearly wanted to discuss matters with all the regions in an integrated way. When I make a contribution about Northern Ireland, I know that the Minister will respond positively with the answers, which we look forward to getting. It is also nice to see the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Epping Forest (Dr Hudson), in his place; I wish him well in his new role. I am also pleased to see the Lib Dem spokesperson, the hon. Member for Glastonbury and Somerton (Sarah Dyke), in her new role on the Front Bench. The hon. Lady usually sits here with the Back Benchers but, for today at least, she has been elevated. I look forward to her contribution as well.

I represent a largely costal and rural constituency and have a fantastic relationship—I believe, anyway—with many local fishermen and farmers. I live on a farm on the Ards peninsula—I declare an interest as a member of the Ulster Farmers Union—and, coming from that background, I understand the importance of our biodiversity policies and the methods that must be used to protect against disease.

I want to mention the examples of what has happened back home with avian influenza and tuberculosis to show why biodiversity is so important. There are several notable diseases of concern within the United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern Ireland. These include avian influenzas, bluetongue, African swine fever and TB. I was grateful to meet with Paul Stewart some time ago, the centre manager of Castle Espie, a wetland centre just outside Comber in my constituency. The centre, which is run by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, is absolutely incredible. It is fantastic for observing and discovering wildlife, and it hosts incredible events for people of all ages. It is very much a must-see venue.

Unfortunately, the centre had to temporarily close due to the confirmed presence of avian influenza. The discovery of a suspect case led to a 1.9 mile—3 km—temporary disease control zone being erected around the wetland reserve. That was absolutely tragic, but they are now out the other side. The avian influenza has been controlled and is no longer there. I am pleased to say the centre has now reopened with a disease prevention strategy in place. I believe that is incredibly important for the protection of the birds, staff and visitors, and everyone in and around the area.

Only days ago, DAERA commenced a review of Northern Ireland’s approach to tackling bovine TB back home. It is a deadly disease that farmers are always at their wits’ end worrying about. Around 10% of herds across Northern Ireland are affected by the disease, which cost the public purse some £55.7 million in 2023-24. My neighbours had a case of TB—they are dairy people and milk more than 170 cattle, and also have beef livestock and calves. They had an outbreak of TB. It affected some 40 of their cattle—not all of them, thank goodness, but it still had an incredible effect on the farmer.

It is always had to quantify this, but I know farmers, and I know my neighbour, and I know how hard he works. To see those 40 calves going away in the lorry to be destroyed—I could see the ache in his heart, which cannot be quantified. Farmers do not just raise their livestock and do all the things they do on their farm to necessarily make money; they have a love of their livestock, as my neighbour clearly has. Furthermore, £36.5 million, almost two thirds of that total of £55.7 million, was paid in compensation to farmers for the removal of animals. It is good that that happens, but it underlines how deadly that disease can be.

The Ulster Farmers’ Union has said that the review that has now been undertaken contains “no meaningful action” to address the bovine TB crisis in Northern Ireland. On Saturday morning, the Ulster Farmers’ Union expressed concerns in Farmers Weekly on behalf of its members: the farmers. Has the Minister had any discussions with the Minister back home on bovine TB and how it can be eradicated? I am ever mindful that farming is a devolved matter, and therefore the Minister here will have no say in what happens. However, the hon. Member for South Norfolk tells me that he has had constructive discussions with the Department back home, so it would be interesting to hear what is happening on that.

[Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP)]

Does my hon. Friend agree that it is best to liaise across the regions of the UK to replicate best practice? For example, where something to combat the bovine TB issue he talks about is working well, it should be replicated elsewhere. The Minister can hopefully play a part, in consultation with colleagues, to ensure that best practice is repeated across the UK.

[Jim Shannon]

I thank my hon. Friend and colleague for that. On best practice, the Minister, other hon. Members, and you, Dame Siobhain, will know that I always think it important to share ideas across this United Kingdom. Where things are working, whether at county level, regional level or whatever it may be, those examples should be taken and given to others.

The TB outbreak just happened in the last two to three months. I understand the pain that my neighbour felt and the impact that it had on him. Bovine TB is a fatal disease that needs a proper prevention and control strategy. On DAERA’s review, the Ulster Farmers’ Union deputy president has stated:

“There’s extremely limited focus on the most critical issue – the need for an effective eradication programme that addresses all sources of infection. While it references biosecurity measures including post-movement testing and restrictions, it’s not enough to only have biosecurity measures.”

I would be grateful if DEFRA committed to discussions with the Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Andrew Muir, to assess what DAERA’s review is missing and see what more the UK Government can do to support the eradication of bovine TB and support our farmers further.

We have seen in the last month the dangers and potential risks to our biosecurity. A case of bluetongue was found in Wales, for example, and panic—I use that word purposefully, because it was probably at that level—ensued across the United Kingdom about bluetongue and its implications. The hon. Member for South Norfolk referred to bluetongue in his introduction; and I thank him for that. As he clearly outlined, farmers want to protect their herds, their flocks, their business and their farms, and such dangers can have an absolutely critical effect. An outbreak of avian influenza has been confirmed in poultry in England. It affected one of the largest poultry flocks on the mainland.

There is still more to be done to tackle and eradicate all these diseases. They have such an impact on livestock and on farmers. I believe that, to tackle these diseases properly, we must work together to ensure that our strategies are regionally aligned and sustainable. I look forward to engaging further on this matter, and I thank the hon. Member for South Norfolk for bringing this topic to the Chamber. I very much look forward to other contributions and to a constructive and helpful response from the Minister.

--- Later in debate ---

[Daniel Zeichner]

My hon. Friend makes an important point. Insurance is a complicated issue, but my officials are in discussions about what we might be able to do. Let me conclude—

[Jim Shannon]

First, I thank the Minister for his responses to us. I know that he will do this, but just to have it on the record in Hansard I ask him this question: will he have some discussions with the Minister back home, Andrew Muir, in relation to bovine TB? We have had some of the biggest outbreaks in all of the United Kingdom. Is it possible to work better and more closely together to try to address this issue? I understand that Minister Muir would love to hear from him and get his thoughts.

[Daniel Zeichner]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I very much enjoyed meeting Minister Muir a few months before the election, when I was the shadow Minister. Interestingly, it was bovine TB that was being discussed in the Assembly that very day. I absolutely take the hon. Gentleman’s point. I am keen to visit. When we are not having weekly debates on other issues, maybe there will be the opportunity to go to talk to friends in the devolved Administrations.

The Government do not underestimate the biosecurity threats we face or the challenges that the agricultural and horticultural sectors are facing. We will continue to test our capabilities regularly to ensure resilience and respond to those threats through exercises and horizon scanning. We will learn lessons when outbreaks do occur and make the necessary improvements. We will continue to work closely with sector groups on preparedness and response, and we remain ever grateful for their insight and commitment.

I thank all hon. Members for a well-informed and thoughtful discussion. I genuinely believe there are many opportunities ahead for the agricultural and horticultural sectors. We are absolutely committed to making the most of them, and to ensuring that the industry can best contribute to our country’s food security and economic growth.

Future of Farming

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Wednesday 4th December 2024 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Upper Bann (Carla Lockhart) for working so hard to keep the plight of farmers throughout the United Kingdom in the mind of this Parliament. She does her constituency credit, as always. I declare an interest as a member of the Ulster Farmers Union and as a landowner and farmer.

I have spoken on this issue so many times, yet I do not grow tired of it. The reason is clear: without small family farms there is no food sustainability or, subsequently, food safety. Most of the 25,000 farms in Northern Ireland are small family farms run by one or two farmers. They are not the massive profit-making industries that perhaps the Government have been led to believe they are. The farmers might be land rich, but they are cash poor. They love the land; they have it in their blood. They do not toil to make a massive profit, but to pay the bills and continue doing what they love.

The fact is that most farms—65% of farmers—could not survive with this inheritance tax. That does not pave the way for food security or production in Northern Ireland. We do not have large farms making millions each year. We have families who are working farms that cannot even pay a living wage. On some of the best farms in my constituency, the sons work the farm but also work privately for income, as they cannot raise a family on the farming income. That is the reality in Northern Ireland. I beseech the Minister to listen to the points I am making, because they are made with sincerity and honesty. If we add to this the inheritance tax and remove the protection from the farming grant, we are left with unprofitable farms, and sons and daughters who have no option but to sell the land and get a job.

The end of farming as we know it is not simply sad, given the history and the lifeblood that flows through farming families, but worrying, as it leaves us beholden to other nations for our food. The average farm in Northern Ireland is worth £14,000 an acre, and the average farm is 100 acres. If the Minister or his civil servants add up the figures, they will see that that means that the threshold is quickly reached. For many farms in Northern Ireland the situation can be fixed if the Government look at it honestly and come up with a different scenario and a different threshold. The quicker they do it, the better.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mary Creagh)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your very crisp chairmanship, Sir Roger. I pay tribute to all hon. and right hon. Members for whittling down what must have been very long speeches into very short, but none the less well-received and well-delivered, speeches.

I thank the hon. Member for Upper Bann (Carla Lockhart), not just for securing this debate but for her work representing her party here in Westminster as a spokesperson on environment, food and rural affairs. She well knows that agriculture is a devolved issue, but we are committed to working closely with devolved Governments as we work to support British farmers and boost the nation’s food security. My colleague Baroness Hayman is in Northern Ireland tomorrow, meeting with large food producers, the Ulster Farmers’ Union and Northern Ireland’s Agriculture Minister.

As the granddaughter of a Fermanagh beef farmer, I too have farming in my blood. The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridge (Daniel Zeichner), has many talents, but he has not yet acquired the skills of cloning himself, so I am here as a pale substitute for him today.

I thank all Members for the comments they have raised. We will never forget that farmers are the beating heart of our great country, and farming and food security is the foundation of a healthy and resilient economy, local community and environment. It is the hard work of our country’s farmers that puts food on the table and stewards our beautiful countryside, which is why, despite the difficult fiscal situation, we are maintaining the total level of Government support to farmers across the UK. For the devolved Governments we are removing the ringfence to respect the devolution settlement, and we are providing the same level of funding in 2025-26 as they are receiving in 2024-25. In England, we have committed £5 billion to the farming budget over two years, including more money than ever for sustainable food production. That enables us to keep momentum on the path to a resilient and more sustainable farming sector.

Environmental land management schemes will remain at the centre of our offer to farmers and nature in England, receiving £1.8 billion in the financial year 2025-26. What is more, we have announced that we will rapidly release £60 million through the farming recovery fund, which will support farmers, including those on family farms, affected by the unprecedented extreme wet weather last winter. Roughly 13,000 farm businesses, including family farms, will receive an exceptional one-off payment to help with severe flooding.

The Government are also investing £208 million to protect the nation from disease outbreaks that threaten the farming industry, our food security and, crucially, human health. All of that is part of the Government’s new deal for farmers. On a UK-wide level, we are working to cut red tape at our borders and get British food exports moving again—protecting farmers from being undercut by shoddy trade deals done by the previous Government. We will lower energy bills for farmers by switching on GB Energy, and introduce grid reform to allow them to plug their renewable energy into the national grid.

We will use Government purchasing power to back British produce so that half of our food in hospitals, Army bases and prisons is locally produced and all certified to high environmental standards. We will introduce a land use framework that balances long-term food security with nature recovery. Critically, we will introduce the first ever cross-Government rural crime strategy to crackdown on antisocial behaviour, fly tipping and GPS theft—a subject on which I have spent many happy hours in the Chamber.

I will address the agricultural property relief changes head-on. There has been a huge range of figures and analysis quoted on all sides. The Treasury’s figures show that 500 estates a year will be affected. That is based on the hard data of actual claims, a figure that is endorsed by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility. It includes the impact of APR, business property relief, nil-rated inheritance allowances, and other capital allowance. The Government have engaged and will continue to engage with the NFU, the CLA, the Tenant Farmers Association, MPs and other stakeholders on the issue. The reforms will not be introduced until April 2026, so there is still time for farmers to plan for the changes and get professional advice on succession planning.

[Jim Shannon]

My hon. Friend the Member for Upper Bann (Carla Lockhart) and I have both contacted the Ulster Farmers Union in Northern Ireland. We have spoken to John McLenaghan, the legal officer, who told us clearly that 65% of farmers in Northern Ireland will be impacted. With great respect, when I hear his legal opinion and the opinion that the Minister has just referred to, there is a chasm of difference. Somebody is telling porkies—I do not know who it is.

[Mary Creagh]

With any fiscal change, we look at the previous year’s figures to see what the impact will be. I am not going to get into the analysis around the figures—I want to make some progress. Those figures have been verified by our independent fiscal authority, the OBR.

We know that the current-use rules have been used by wealthy landowners to avoid inheritance tax, and currently the largest estates pay a lower inheritance tax than smaller estates. That is not fair or sustainable.

Family Farming in Devon

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Tuesday 3rd December 2024 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

It is a pleasure to speak in this debate, Sir Mark. I first of all thank the right hon. and learned Member for Torridge and Tavistock (Sir Geoffrey Cox) for introducing the debate.

I am conscious of the key issues that affect farmers across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, one of which is food security. I will refer to inheritance tax on family farms, but first I want to say that food security is important, because we need to be able to feed our people. For that, we need to have farms that are viable and farmers who are working.

The similarities between Devon and Strangford—indeed, across this great United Kingdom—are real. Farming is the same, no matter the number of acres. Farms in Devon are bigger than the farms back home, but none the less, the issues are the same. The right hon. and learned Member for Torridge and Tavistock referred to the fact that, for those people who understand farming and who have lived farming all their life, such as my farmers and neighbours, farming the land is more than just farming the land; it is their very lifeblood.

I declare an interest: I am a member of the Ulster Farmers Union, which is a sister organisation of the NFU, and I am the holder of a family farm. I highlight the fact that my holdings are among the very few that will fall, slightly, under the threshold—for this generation at least—and I speak wholly on behalf of those who have contacted me from across this great United Kingdom to speak about this “discounted” inheritance tax. Falling revenues and profits are ploughed back into farms. Farms are very clearly asset rich but pound poor, and the inheritance tax changes will impact farmers.

I know the Minister; he is a decent man, and I mean that genuinely. There is not one of us in this room who does not see him as a friend, but the fact is that these proposals are alien and they will affect farms across this great United Kingdom. Many farmers tell me that the best option in response to this 20% tax is to sell their land—that would lessen production, which we need to feed this great nation—and that, even with future planning, their farm would have less land with which to attempt to make enough money to ensure that there is cash available for their sons to take over the farm. The vicious circle starts again. The changes to national insurance contributions impacts all businesses, whether they are farmers or other small businesses.

I was talking to two food-producing farmers back home the week before last. The point they made was clear: the changes to national insurance contributions will impact each farm and each business, and prices will go up. Who ultimately falls for the national insurance contributions? The ordinary man in the street. It affects everyone, not just the farmers themselves. The farmers told me that we will see a 15% to 20% increase in food prices—that is an indication of just how important this is.

Another farmer told me that his farm consisted of two holdings, which two brothers manage. These men are still farming in their 70s. We should think of the impact on them. The right hon. and learned Member for Torridge and Tavistock referred to that. Whether it is a single person or a duo working on the farm, they will have to pay the cost. The sons of both men have said that there is no point continuing with the farm because, even though they have a job outside, the impact on them will be great. The fact is that small farm holdings, whether in Devon, Strangford or anywhere else in this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, will be impacted greatly by what the Government are introducing. In Northern Ireland, we obviously have other important issues, but they are not for this debate—I will save them until tomorrow.

I have a meeting next Monday with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ulster Farmers Union to discuss the very issues before us. We will discuss in detail the impact on Northern Ireland, where 70% of farmers will be clearly impacted by the inheritance tax. When they sell off assets they sell premises or a family farm, and in a short space of time the result will be that every child in this country will depend on imports for food security. This cannot be. I stand with hon. Members here in begging for a rethink. We are not selling family silver—we are selling plots of potatoes, and without a harvest, we will all bear the brunt.

Fishing Industry

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Thursday 28th November 2024 Westminster Hall

[Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD)]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered the fishing industry.

It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Efford. I am grateful to members of the Backbench Business Committee for allowing time for this debate, and I am delighted to see such good geographic and political representation in this Chamber.

Before we come to the meat of the politics, as we enter Advent it is worth reflecting for a second or two that, in coastal and island communities right around our country, there will always be families with a sense of sadness because somebody will not be with them for Christmas. Last year, four people in the fishing industry lost their lives. That number goes up and down—in 2021, it was as high as 10. It is worth our remembering as we talk here in the safety, security and warmth of Westminster Hall that the way in which our fishers actually live and work is very different. They often take an enormous personal risk to put food on our table, and we should not forget that.

I will touch on four different areas. First, there are the year-end negotiations coming up between the UK, the EU and Norway. Looking ahead, we have the review of the trade and co-operation agreement and the transitional arrangements in 2026. There is also the ability of our fishing industry to access traditional fishing grounds and the extent to which it is being squeezed out of them. Finally, there is the availability of crew for many boats, especially those operating inside UK territorial waters, to whom the opportunity of visas through the transit visa regime is not available.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I commend the right hon. Gentleman on bringing forward this debate. I have spoken to him, and I apologise that I cannot be here for the rest of it—I think it will be the first fishing debate that I will ever miss in totality.

In the debate we had on 5 November, the Minister discussed the issue of positive outcomes that could be attained if these issues could be resolved. The ability to go to sea to catch fish is reliant on having the crews to man vessels. Despite automation projects being brought forward, the problem is in the ability to access crews and thereby survive long enough to bring the benefits of these opportunities into local communities. This is not just a Northern Irish problem. Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that some relatively minor tweaks to Home Office policy would enable the growth potential identified for Northern Ireland and all this great United Kingdom to be replicated in one form or another?

Sewage Discharges: South West

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Wednesday 27th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Ben Maguire]

I agree that we need one reliable source of data, and I will come on to address that slightly later in my speech.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I commend the hon. Member for bringing forward this matter. He referred to the fact that his mum and dad live in a farm building, and it is clear what the issues are there. Does he have the same problems as my constituents when it comes to single houses with septic tanks? The removal of sludge can be done only once a year. For disabled people and big families it is important to have it done twice a year. Has he experienced that issue in his own constituency?

[Ben Maguire]

Having grown up in a very rural area in North Cornwall, I know that many of my constituents face that issue, so I thank the hon. Member for raising it.

To look beyond the shocking statistics for a moment, and properly understand the real impact that the issue is having on coastal communities such as mine, I refer to three-year-old Finley from Widemouth bay. This time last year, Finley’s mum took her son to Widemouth bay to play on the north Cornish beach. Later that day, Finley became extremely unwell, and a friend’s child who had been on the same beach at the same time had similar symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting, which lasted for weeks. Just last week, there were three sewage dumps in Widemouth bay. Tragically, in just the few months since my election, I have lost count of the number of constituents who have written to me or stopped me in the street to explain how they have stopped swimming or surfing in our oceans for fear of getting sick from the contaminated water.

Fly-tipping

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Tuesday 26th November 2024 Westminster Hall

[Tristan Osborne (Chatham and Aylesford) (Lab)]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered Government support for local councils to tackle fly-tipping.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. We have only 30 minutes for this debate, and I am keen to take as many interventions as possible, so I am looking forward to hearing many contributions from across different sides of this Chamber.

Fly-tipping is a major scourge in the local areas of many constituents, not only in my constituency, but across the country. It is the illegal dumping of waste in public or private spaces, often in areas that are designated for waste disposal. As people will be aware through the news and other online sources, fly-tipping has become a significant environmental issue, with millions of pounds being spent annually on cleaning up waste and countless communities affected by the unsightly and hazardous consequences. This problem not only affects the aesthetics of the environment, but poses serious health and safety risks.

In today’s debate, I hope to explore the nature of fly-tipping, its causes and consequences, and where we need further Government action. There have been regular debates on this topic in Westminster Hall over the last number of years, including recently in September. I acknowledge that all Governments have struggled with this issue and that solutions have been piecemeal, with successes but also concerns. I welcome the announcement this week of respect orders and this Government’s focus on antisocial behaviour; I hope that, alongside those, this Government will focus on and challenge those who persistently fly-tip in the future.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for bringing this debate forward and for giving me permission to intervene when I asked him before. There is pressure on councils everywhere; is he aware that the tightening of restrictions on general waste, in order to meet recycling targets for councils, has made them more difficult to follow? In some instances, it has led to greater examples of fly-tipping. Does he agree that the Government must support local councils and streamline the process to find and deal with this issue effectively in every postcode throughout the United Kingdom?

[Tristan Osborne]

I absolutely agree with the hon. Member. We are having this debate not only to discuss how we can better support local councils, but to acknowledge some of the successes of local authorities around the country where they have been challenging this issue, and hopefully to share that expertise. I agree that fines need to increase for those caught, and councils need to be given support from central Government to pursue that. One reason I am bringing forward this debate is that farmers and communities in rural areas in in my constituency have seen significant increases in fly-tipping, specifically around the villages of Wouldham, Burham and Capstone. We have had a long legacy of urban fly-tipping, but this is not just an urban blight; it also affects rural areas.