Business of the House

Kirsteen Sullivan Excerpts

Thursday 31st October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

The Environment Secretary will be here for questions in a couple of weeks’ time, and he comes to the House regularly. I have to say, I find that some of the questions this morning are scaremongering. We have made it clear that three quarters of the farming businesses that are entitled to the full relief will still get it after this Budget. We are talking about the top 25%, and there is not a cliff edge in any case. We are fully committed to farmers, the farming community and food security in this country—I certainly do not buy imported mangetout, as the hon. Gentleman may occasionally—and that is why the settlement announced yesterday provides £5 billion over two years for farming and land management, and why we have prioritised the farming recovery fund.

[Kirsteen Sullivan (Bathgate and Linlithgow) (Lab/Co-op)]

Recently, we welcomed Restart a Heart Day to raise awareness of lifesaving skills. That same week, five boys from my constituency, including two from Blackburn United community sports club, discovered someone in an emergency situation, put them in the recovery position, called an ambulance and retrieved a defibrillator. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating the boys on their swift action and clear thinking, and will she allocate Government time to debate vital first aid training in local communities?

[Lucy Powell]

I also pay tribute to those boys, who rushed towards danger, rather than turning away from the moment they faced. My hon. Friend raises an important point about first aid training and the now extensive use of defibrillators, which really are lifesaving.