Results 1-20 of 4,714 for speaker:Owen Paterson

Written Ministerial Statements — Environment Food and Rural Affairs: Balance of Competences (20 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: I wish to inform the House that the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), and I have today published the call for evidence relating to the environment and climate change report as part of the balance of competences review. This report, which will be completed by the end of 2013, will focus on the application...

Written Ministerial Statements — Environment Food and Rural Affairs: Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Taskforce (20 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: I would like to update the House on the work of the tree health and plant biosecurity taskforce which publishes its report today. This is further to my written ministerial statement of 6 December 2012, Official Report, column 74WS in which I outlined the Government’s response to Chalara and the early work of this taskforce. I asked DEFRA’s chief scientific adviser, Professor Ian...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: British Producers: New Markets (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: Mr Speaker, good morning. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs continues to work with UK Trade & Investment and industry to promote exports and address market access barriers. We have opened the pork markets in China and Australia, expanded the beef market to Hong Kong, and opened poultry, beef and lamb markets in Russia. We continue to work hard to open and maintain...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: British Producers: New Markets (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: My hon. Friend is absolutely right to spot the growth in these markets. Last year, our exports to China grew by 6%, our exports to India by 7% and our exports to the USA by 9%, and only last week the Prime Minister was in Russia talking to President Putin about increasing our exports there. At the moment, the BRIC economies represent only 3% of our total export market, but there are massive...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: British Producers: New Markets (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: The hon. Gentleman is right to spot the importance of food production. It is the largest manufacturing sector in the country, and we would like to see exports expanded into Europe and the BRIC countries, as I just said.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: British Producers: New Markets (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: I entirely agree with the Prime Minister that we would like to increase our exports to the EU and around the world, and that is why he was doing sterling stuff in Russia. I entirely endorse his policy, which is that we should renegotiate and then put the proposed settlement to the British people. The question for the hon. Lady is whether her wishy-washy Wally of a shadow leader will give the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: British Producers: New Markets (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: We are talking about exports. We want to export to Europe, but yesterday’s results for the French economy, led by her leader’s close ally, show that unemployment there has rocketed to 10.6%. In such circumstances, it is hard to sell and increase our exports to the eurozone. My hon. Friend the Member for Enfield North (Nick de Bois) is on exactly the right lines in looking at the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Horse Passports (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: The Government remain committed to strengthening the horse passport system. I met members of the Equine Sector Council for Health and Welfare’s strategy steering committee to discuss this and other issues on 21 February. My noble Friend Lord de Mauley will be meeting them again next week to discuss these matters further.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Horse Passports (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: My hon. Friend speaks with real authority on this matter, having been chief executive of the National Pony Society before entering the House. That is one of the 75 bodies that issues horse passports. She makes the very sensible point that more than 1 million passports have already been issued. We are working with the European Commission, which has sensibly suggested that we move to a single...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Horse Passports (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: We are discussing this matter immediately with the European Commission, which has put forward the sensible proposal that member states should have a central database. The issue might be subject to renegotiation at a later stage, at which point I would love to hear the hon. Gentleman’s opinion on whether he would push his party leader to back us in giving the British people a choice on...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Horse Passports (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: My hon. Friend makes an interesting point. He is right to say that a number of breeds are currently excluded. We will have to work this out as we discuss the new system, but I also hope that he will see the merits of having a centralised database, which we will work through with the passport-issuing authorities.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Horse Passports (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: The hon. Gentleman is wrong. We called a meeting with senior members of the equine sector before we had discussions with the Commission, and we all agreed that the system we inherited from his Government is a mess and badly needs to be improved. He exaggerates the importance of the national equine database as he left it, because it did not contain food chain information. We will work closely...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Horse Passports (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: My hon. Friend makes an important point, which I discussed with senior representatives of the horse industry at the Royal Windsor horse show on Saturday. There is a real problem with fly grazing, but we are taking measures forward in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill, which I hope will lead to a reduction of the problem.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Flood Insurance (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: We are at an advanced stage in negotiations with insurers towards producing a successor to the statement of principles. Today, the Association of British Insurers has written to say that insurers will continue to abide by the current agreement for a month beyond the end of June to allow further time for the outstanding issues to be concluded. I am placing a copy of the letter in the Library...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Flood Insurance (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: The current arrangements are not guaranteed to hold premiums down. We are seeking an arrangement that will last well into the future, will deliver affordability and comprehensiveness, and will not impose a huge burden on the taxpayer. The hon. Lady may wish to pop into the Library, or, if she comes to see me later, I will give her a copy of the letter from the ABI. She will see that the tone...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Flood Insurance (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: Having seen the floods in Exeter, I know that this is a key issue there. I hope that the right hon. Gentleman will welcome the new schemes, which will be of great benefit to many thousands of his constituents. I cannot negotiate with him on the Floor of the House, but we are fully aware that a great many people are vulnerable to increases in premiums, and we view this as a real priority. I...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Flood Insurance (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: As my hon. Friend—who chairs the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee—is aware, we will be presenting a water Bill in the summer, and we shall have an opportunity to include clauses that will lead to the legislation that is required. We are convinced that, whatever happens, there will have to be some form of legislation to ensure that the arrangement is comprehensive. The...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Flood Insurance (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: Having visited my hon. Friend’s constituency during the floods, I am fully aware of the importance of the issue to her constituents, but it is a complex issue. We are trying to find a long-term solution, and to sort out the conundrum of affordability, comprehensiveness, and not imposing a long-term burden on the taxpayer. I pay tribute to the ABI for the constructive manner in which it...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Flood Insurance (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: We have begun preliminary investigations of the prospects of long-term flooding. As the hon. Gentleman knows, there is a possibility of major construction projects which may help.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Flood Insurance (16 May 2013)

Owen Paterson: I shall be brief, Mr. Speaker. My hon. Friend has raised a very important point. I think that the Environment Agency has a role to play in clearing major waterways, but I am also talking to the agency about speeding up the ability of landowners to look after low-risk waterways, where there is also a problem in rural areas.