Thangam Debbonaire: ...Minister, came to this House to answer questions on extreme heat, but only when forced to do so, and he might as well not have bothered. He said to “wear a hat”, “stay in the shade” and to drink water. This is not an online local residents’ group; they are the Government. When will they start acting like one? As the chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance told MPs just last...
Victoria Prentis: Whilst no specific assessment has been made on the impact of rising energy costs on the Scotch Whisky industry, the UK Government is in regular dialogue with the industry, and aims to provide the framework for a forwarding-thinking, competitive alcoholic drinks sector which can grow, export and innovate in line with Government ambitions.
Boris Johnson: ...trade. Since our exit, we have been seizing the opportunities that come with this new freedom. We have signed three major new trade deals with Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, supporting food, drink and manufacturing exports as well as digital trade, and taking our total number of FTAs to over 70, with negotiations underway on many more. We have selected eight locations for freeports,...
Victoria Prentis: ...remains stable. However, there is, of course, the matter of increasing costs. The global spike in oil and gas prices has affected the prices of agricultural commodities, which are always close to energy costs. Gas prices were rising as we emerged from the pandemic anyway, and the invasion of Ukraine has caused some additional turbulence in international commodity markets—for example,...
Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: ...per month, compared to an average in the south of £103. A significant part of such extra costs, £360 a year, is associated with poor housing—which, of course, is before the further increase in energy prices that we are expecting. I imagine that one of the responses we may hear from the Government, if we are not going to hear the widespread embrace of the Bill that we should, is, “But...
Steve Double: .... Maintaining the strategic supply of chemicals to the water sector is a priority for government and industry. Chemicals are critical to water treatment processes for both the provision of safe drinking water and wastewater services to protect the environment. We work continuously with the water sector to understand chemical supply issues and manage the strategic risks of interruption...
Lord Kamall: ...alcohol price in Scotland, which has been recently reviewed. The study found that there was “a marked increase in the prices paid for alcohol by people with alcohol dependence” and those drinking at harmful levels, but no clear evidence of any change in consumption or severity of dependence. Although such an effect cannot be ruled out, it demonstrates that we cannot assume that every...
Daisy Cooper: ...simply do not do that. For wine, the proposed model cannot be described as simpler. Introducing taxation by degree will be complicated, costly and impractical. Unlike other categories of alcoholic drink, there is a far greater permitted tolerance for the alcohol content of wine made from fresh grapes, meaning that without testing every wine at the point excise duty becomes payable, it is...
Peter Gibson: ...) and for Wirral West (Margaret Greenwood), and the Opposition spokesman, the hon. Member for Southampton, Test (Dr Whitehead), although I was disappointed to not actually hear the meat and drink of Labour’s plans to tackle the problem. We had interventions from my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool South (Scott Benton) and the hon. Member for Sheffield Central (Paul Blomfield), who...
Robert Halfon: ...of State is listening. Everywhere we look, there are all kinds of pressures on our education system. It is not just the things that the hon. Members mentioned; schools are paying huge amounts in energy bills, for example, and are not able to afford that. Instead of spending money on frontline teaching, they are having to pay energy bills. Those are big issues that the Government will have...
Anne-Marie Trevelyan: ...will allow the UK to play to our strengths as a manufacturing powerhouse and a world leader in technology, cyber, life sciences, creative industries, education, AI, financial services and renewable energy. UK businesses in these industries have a role to play in supporting the GCC countries as they diversify their economies to move away from a reliance on fossil fuels and towards...
Ivan McKee: ...resources that, in many cases, the comparator countries lack. If all those countries can use the powers of independence to create wealthier and fairer societies, why cannot Scotland, with our vast energy resources; globally recognised record of innovation, invention and learning; exceptional food and drink industry; stunning natural heritage; strength in advantaged engineering and...
Willie Rennie: ...that Miles Briggs was not prepared to even explore that proposition in his speech. The scale of the problem is significant. The ONS data that was released today is really quite stark. Food, drink and clothes costs for a typical family are now at £5,780 a year—up £425 in one year. The fuel costs for a typical family are up £310. In addition to the Conservatives’ tax hike, which is...
Mairi Gougeon: ...to their meals.” Evening meals that are provided in hostels that are run by local authorities must comply with the nutrient standards that are set out in the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020, which help ensure that young people are provided with an appropriate amount of energy and key nutrients to support their healthy growth and...
Baroness Walmsley: ...at the same time protecting the environment. Yet what do we have in response? Twenty-seven pages that ignore evidence-based measures such as introducing a sugar and salt tax, an idea that the soft drinks industry levy has shown to be an effective way of incentivising manufacturers to reformulate and reduce sugar in order to avoid the tax. Tonnes of sugar have been cut from the diets of...
George Eustice: ...perhaps he did not read it, because I simply cannot accept any of the criticisms he made. He raises the issue of obesity, and the report deals at length with it. We have already introduced a soft drinks levy that has driven reformulation. As I said in my statement, later this year we will introduce new point of sale regulations that will also drive reformulation. The hon. Gentleman raises...
Audrey Nicoll: In the past week, local media coverage has highlighted how north-east food and drink small businesses are struggling due to Brexit, the Ukraine conflict, VAT and soaring energy costs—all of which the cabinet secretary has highlighted. Some businesses have had to make difficult decisions, such as reducing their operating hours, increasing menu prices or even removing items entirely. Will the...
Jim Fairlie: ...biotechnology, which were set at £900 million in turnover and 2,500 employees by 2025. I have spoken previously, and often, about the fantastic growth in the Scottish tourism and food and drink sectors over the years—which is now under threat from Brexit and the Tories—and areas such as renewable energy, which still have massive potential. My colleague Paul McLennan talked about the...
Dan Carden: ...of cod was £4 in December 2021, and it is now £5.90. Flour was £16 for 16 kilos, and that has risen to £22. Onions were £6.50 for 25 kilos and are now £14.50. On top of that, the shop’s energy supplier went bust in November 2021. It was placed on the Government’s preferred supplier rate, which meant that from paying 3p a unit it was paying 11p a unit. A bill that was £400 in...
Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has plans to provide support to the food and drink supply chain in its servicing of the public sector in the context of that sector facing pressures due to rising energy, food and labour costs.