Lords
Oral Questions
13 January 2026
9 contributions
Meat Labelling
I thank the Minister. I know she is a genuine supporter of good animal welfare, which is why I was surprised that there was not a word in the strategy document that came out about the very cruel and barbaric way millions of animals are killed each year in a non-stun method. A lamb is shackled, pulle…
Does the Minister agree that, before any labelling scheme could be considered, there would have to be an assurance that it would be comprehensive and not discriminatory against religious slaughter of shechita and halal? While a recent study in the American Journal of Veterinary Research confirmed th…
+7 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
8 January 2026
3 contributions
Environmental Improvement Plan 2025
I am glad to have identified something that the Minister will have to find out about. The whole business of the contribution of agri-environment schemes and the farming road map to the EIP is huge. Nature-friendly farming is fundamental: it will be key, as the noble Lord, Lord Krebs, said, to delive…
Would it be possible for the Minister to tell us about peat?
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Committee Stage
6 January 2026
2 contributions
Nitrogen Reduction, Recycling and Reuse (Environment and Climate Change Committee Report)
I thank the Minister for her response, which has finished bang on the dot of 20 minutes. I take this opportunity to thank all colleagues who have participated in the debate. The contributions have been fantastic and reaffirm yet again the breadth and depth of knowledge that runs deep through Members…
I just confirm that I will look into the issue the noble Baroness raises in that email and will write to her.
Lords
Oral Questions
6 January 2026
10 contributions
Flooding Interventions
My Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister for her response. In October 2025, the Government committed a record £10.5 billion to flood defences to protect nearly 900,000 properties. Will the Minister tell your Lordships’ House what assessment they have made of this investment in flood defences, …
My Lords, one of the most efficient ways to reduce flood risk is sustainable drains. When do the Government expect to implement Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 to make sure that they will be mandatory for major new housing developments?
+8 more contributions in this session
Lords
Debate
21 November 2025
Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill
My Lords, I am very pleased to be able to speak at the Third Reading of this Private Member’s Bill. Ending puppy smuggling was a government manifesto commitment, and we have been really delighted to support this animal welfare Bill through both Houses of Parliament. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Tree…
Lords
Proceedings
13 November 2025
Biodiversity and the Countryside
My Lords, this has been a very good debate and I say again that I am grateful to noble Lords who have remained here late on a Thursday because we all view this as such an important issue. There are not many issues that can command near-unanimity across a Chamber of Parliament. This is clearly one of…
Lords
Committee Stage
10 November 2025
3 contributions
Environmental Protection (Wet Wipes Containing Plastic) (England) Regulations 2025
My Lords, these draft regulations were laid before the House on 16 September. I welcome the chance to set out the action that this Government and the devolved Governments are taking to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic right across the UK.
The Government are committed to bring…
I thank the Minister for introducing this instrument proposing the ban on the supply and sale of wet wipes. There is no doubt that there is a significant and ongoing problem with wet wipes, and I agree that urgent action is needed to ban the sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic fibres. Th…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
10 November 2025
9 contributions
River Pollution
I thank the Minister for her response. According to the Cunliffe review, agriculture is the single largest cause of river pollution, with pesticides and nutrients ultimately leading to poor environmental outcomes dangerous to public health and blocking developments in affected catchment areas. If we…
My Lords, the Canal & River Trust has removed litter bins from the canal network throughout England and Wales, on the tow-paths. It has a statutory duty to manage litter in England and Wales. What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of water pollution on biodiversity and wildlife on o…
+7 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
4 November 2025
10 contributions
Energy Market Reforms
We still have some of the highest energy prices in Europe. Does the Minister agree with me that reducing the costs of energy for everyone has to be an absolute priority? What progress is being made on producing a clear programme to redistribute energy levies, and will the Government examine in detai…
On energy market reforms, should His Majesty’s Government not take advantage of the news that the North Sea oil reserves are now considerably higher than anticipated, and of a better quality and cheaper than imports of gas and oil, and therefore help to bring down energy prices?
+8 more contributions in this session
Lords
Debate
3 November 2025
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
My Lords, Amendments 208 and 231A, both tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Roborough, seek to remove Clause 90 and Schedule 6 from the Bill. These relate to Ramsar sites, as we have heard, and noble Lords will be aware from the debate that these are wetlands of international importance that have been de…
Lords
Proceedings
27 October 2025
9 contributions
Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund
The funding is being allocated using the Barnett formula, which is the normal mechanism used by HM Treasury to determine funding for the devolved Governments. That is the mechanism used and, while allocations are not directly linked to the size of each nation’s fishing industry—the noble Lord mentio…
The noble Baroness mentioned the Brexit deal agreed by the previous Government, which provides de facto guarantees for EU boats to UK waters beyond 2026. What we have done is to secure a deal with the EU that ensures returns for our fishing community, including scrapping red tape and restoring shell…
+7 more contributions in this session
Lords
Debate
22 October 2025
5 contributions
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
My Lords, there are two government amendments in this group. I will introduce government Amendments 68 and 262 and respond to the other two amendments at the end of this debate.
Government Amendments 68 and 262 seek to provide Natural England with discretion when considering how best to deal with r…
My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in this debate. I will first go through the responses to the government amendments, and I thank the noble Lord, Lord Blencathra, for his support.
My noble friend Lady Young and the noble Baroness, Lady Parminter, both asked why we feel this amen…
+3 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
20 October 2025
11 contributions
Musical Instrument Certificates
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. It is very welcome that the Prime Minister made pledges to help our touring artists as part of improving the UK’s trade relationship with the EU, because since Brexit, UK musicians touring the EU have had many extra costs, including for visas, work per…
My Lords, this proposal for charging for musical instrument certificates clearly goes entirely against the promise the Government made in their election manifesto to help facilitate musicians touring the EU. Does this not illustrate the need for someone, preferably a Minister, who can oversee this p…
+9 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
15 October 2025
8 contributions
Waste Crime
I thank my noble friend for that Answer. I asked her a Question about what evaluation has been made of the joint waste crime unit. Her reply was that there has been none. I also asked the justice department about the incidence of prosecutions for landfill tax fraud over four years, only to be referr…
My Lords, the Minister will no doubt be familiar with the case of Hoads Wood in Kent that was exposed by the BBC a while back. Hoads Wood is a site of special scientific interest in which trees were cut down and 30,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste were deposited. It took four years for the Envir…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Debate
17 September 2025
14 contributions
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
My Lords, this group covers further government amendments to bring confidence that the nature restoration fund will deliver the improved outcomes for nature that are at the core of the model. At its introduction, the Bill provided the ability for Natural England to include back-up conservation measu…
I thank the noble Lord for his supportive comments. I do believe these amendments show we have been listening to concerns. I beg to move.
+12 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
17 September 2025
10 contributions
Deforestation
My Lords, the Tropical Forest Forever Facility is a flagship project of Brazil’s COP 30 presidency. It is a global financial initiative designed to provide large-scale, predictable and performance-based payments to tropical forest countries for conserving and expanding forest cover. Can the Minister…
My Lords, it is not just forest commodities per se that are driving deforestation in, for example, Brazil and Australia; it involves the production of other agricultural commodities such as beef. Beef imports to the UK are rising while our indigenous production is falling, yet we produce 1 kilogram …
+8 more contributions in this session
Lords
Debate
17 September 2025
6 contributions
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
My Lords, before I respond to the debate, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Parminter, for her comments. I also remind noble Lords that our civil servants across all departments work extremely hard. They bring valuable support to Ministers, and it really is not appropriate to question their intellect…
Of course. To all noble Lords, I say that, between Committee and Report, my noble friend and I are very happy to sit down and discuss amendments or any concerns further with officials.
+4 more contributions in this session
Lords
Debate
15 September 2025
11 contributions
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in this interesting debate on the planning features around birds and other wildlife. I thank the noble Lords, Lord Teverson and Lord Blencathra, for their kind welcome of the fact I am still here in front of noble Lords today.
I am grateful to t…
My Lords, please bear with me. I only have 20 minutes. It has been a very long debate and, because of the clause stand parts, I need to go through everything. I will do my best to cover everything off, but anything I do not, I will get back to the noble Lords in writing.
Our vision is for a plannin…
+9 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
15 September 2025
11 contributions
Plastic Pollution
I take this opportunity to congratulate successive Governments on their efforts to reach agreement for a global plastic pollution treaty. What are this Government doing to reduce the use of plastics in the economy, mindful of the fact that the Government set up a Circular Economy Taskforce in March,…
My Lords, beyond health deception, cigarette filters are the single most-littered item on the planet. They are an environmental disaster: they do not biodegrade but break down into microplastics, polluting our rivers and oceans. Banning them would remove the illusion of safety from filtered cigarett…
+9 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
11 September 2025
8 contributions
Global Plastic Pollution Treaty
I thank my noble friend the Minister for her Answer. As she says, in light of the rejection of any limits on plastic production by Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran and the United States at the recent intergovernmental negotiating committee, will the Government, along with other high-ambition countries, co…
My Lords, given the collapse of the talks in August, does the Minister agree that a global agreement will not be reached if the petrochemical lobbyists continue to outnumber the independent scientists at the talks? What threshold of plastics needs to be found in human brains and reproductive systems…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Statutory Instrument
10 September 2025
Warm Home Discount (Amendment) Regulations 2025
That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 19 June be approved. Relevant document: 30th Report from the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee. Considered in Grand Committee on 3 September.
Lords
Committee Stage
10 September 2025
3 contributions
Free-Range Poultrymeat Marketing Standards (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2025
My Lords, these regulations were laid before this House on 1 July 2025.
Today is Back British Farming Day, and this instrument seeks to do just that: back our free-range poultry meat producers. This instrument has been laid to amend existing legislation governing poultry meat marketing standards to…
My Lords, this is the 10th annual Back British Farming Day—a moment to celebrate our farmers and the vital contribution they make to our economy, countryside and food security. I thank the Minister for giving us the opportunity to discuss this important statutory instrument with significant implicat…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Debate
5 September 2025
2 contributions
Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill
Would it make sense, when the regulations come forward, to embrace all commercially produced animals in the definition, for the avoidance of doubt?
My Lords, I thank everybody who has contributed today. It is good to have yet another Bill that has strong support from all parties, and those of no party, for this legislation to get through. I think the noble Lord, Lord Trees, mentioned “One Man and His Dog”. I did watch that, even though I grew u…