Natural England: Gamebird Release Licensing

Debate between Lord Spellar and Baroness Hayman of Ullock

Tuesday 21st July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness. I jolly well hope that too; I am waiting to find out. She raised the important issue of avian influenza. It has caused some serious problems. This year was worse than last year—not as bad as a few years ago—and it is not going to go away, so the way we manage avian influenza is incredibly important. That has to include the way that we manage and release game birds.

[Lord Spellar (Lab)]

My Lords, pursuant to the question from my noble friend Lord Rooker, is it not time that the Government looked at all these quangos, at whether they are value for money and add to public life and at whether issues should really be taken in for proper ministerial decision-making? Is it not time for a cull of the quangos?

Hares: Close Season

Debate between Lord Spellar and Baroness Hayman of Ullock

Wednesday 24th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

In talking about fireworks, the noble Earl is talking about something that is in the gift of the Department for Business and Trade, because the selling of fireworks is a trade issue. However, I can inform him and the House that I have had a meeting with the relevant Minister in DBT to discuss exactly this issue.

[Lord Spellar (Lab)]

My Lords, I suggest to the Minister that the Government’s legislative programme is not the only mechanism by which this could be done. For example, have the Whips been putting out Private Members’ Bills, suggested Bills and handout Bills, which is a well-known practice on both sides? Further, there is still the opportunity at any stage to introduce a Bill, which I am sure would sail through the Commons. It could then come here and not take up government time.

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

My noble friend has allowed me to express my deep disappointment that the PMB on this, which was Defra’s priority PMB for this Session, was not picked up. I thank noble Lords who were prepared to put it forward but did not come early enough in the ballot.

Legal Protections for Ancient Trees

Debate between Lord Spellar and Baroness Hayman of Ullock

Tuesday 23rd June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

The noble Baroness is right that the shade provided by trees is important, not just for human health but for animal health, for livestock and so on. As I mentioned in my Answer to the noble Baroness’s Question, we are looking at the tree action plan, which we will publish by the end of the year, and I will ensure that the concerns around climate change and increasing temperatures are looked at as part of that.

[Lord Spellar (Lab)]

My Lords, is the Forestry Commission case that was cited not further evidence of commissions and quangos ignoring the intentions of Parliament, and indeed the wishes of the public, and being toothless in the face of gross abuses? Is it not time that government departments and Ministers took back control so that perpetrators can be held accountable and the public’s voice can be effectively heard?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

The Forestry Commission reports to Defra, to my colleague Mary Creagh MP. I know that she has been working very hard to ensure that the kinds of issues my noble friend talks about are better taken into account, including how the commission manages its estates, the kind of trees that are planted and how to bring in proper enforcement where required.

Welfare of Domestic Animals

Debate between Lord Spellar and Baroness Hayman of Ullock

Thursday 4th December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

The noble Lord is absolutely right to raise this issue. As he said, there has been quite a lot of interest and work done on dogs in this area. As a result of the concerns that have been continually and increasingly raised around the health and conformation of cats bred for sale as pets, the Government commissioned the Animal Welfare Committee to produce a report looking at the welfare implications, exactly as the noble Lord talked about. Those recommendations are now with the Government and we are carefully looking at them.

[Lord Spellar (Lab)]

My Lords, might I suggest to the Minister, in the same way as I did to her Conservative predecessors when I was trying to introduce legislation to ban the import of hunting trophies, that there is nothing I am aware of in the Representation of the People Act that prevents Governments undertaking popular policies? So could she overcome the institutional lethargy of Whitehall in this and other animal welfare issues and just get on with it?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

I think the noble Lord is probably aware that there are an awful lot of popular policies that everybody would like to see put forward immediately, which is why I wanted to spend time on getting an animal welfare strategy that actually looked right across the board at what was going to make the biggest difference for animal welfare and at different bits of legislation that were much more achievable. So again, I say to the noble Lord, as I have said to others: keep a watching eye out for the animal welfare strategy.