11 Kevin Brennan debates involving the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Forestry (England)

Kevin Brennan Excerpts
Thursday 17th February 2011

(13 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Caroline Spelman Portrait Mrs Spelman
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I would be delighted to bring those concerns to the panel. I know that my hon. Friend has met large numbers of people in her constituency and approached the whole issue with great diligence. I think she would therefore acknowledge that there are some important questions to resolve, and tensions between different access groups. This is precisely one of the aspects that I will ask the independent panel to look at.

Kevin Brennan Portrait Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab)
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I congratulate the Secretary of State on at least resolving a centuries-old philosophical problem—namely, if a tree falls in the forest and one takes one’s eye off it, it does make a noise. It makes a noise sufficiently loud to be heard right across the country and to expose the lack of grip that the Prime Minister has on his Government’s policies.

Caroline Spelman Portrait Mrs Spelman
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I do not think that there was a question at the heart of that. The whole point of my statement was to make it abundantly clear that we are a Government who listen and, having listened, are prepared to take the right action.