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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 26 Jun 2018
Leaving the EU: Upland Farming

"It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Pritchard. I congratulate the hon. Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Jonathan Edwards) on securing this very important debate.

My constituency includes Teesdale, which is part of the north Pennines area of outstanding natural beauty. I represent 400 sheep farmers, …..."
Helen Goodman - View Speech

View all Helen Goodman (Lab - Bishop Auckland) contributions to the debate on: Leaving the EU: Upland Farming
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 26 Jun 2018
Leaving the EU: Upland Farming

"In Teesdale, we have achieved a balance between shooting and hill farming that the community is happy with.

From a farming perspective, the land is extremely marginal. Tenant farmers have an average annual income of about £14,000, which means that, when we change the subsidy regime, we need to bear …..."
Helen Goodman - View Speech

View all Helen Goodman (Lab - Bishop Auckland) contributions to the debate on: Leaving the EU: Upland Farming
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 07 Jun 2018
Oral Answers to Questions

"The Secretary of State is using his current role to flirt with radicalism—in particular, taking cheap shots at the payments made to the landed aristocracy. Rather than capping total amounts paid in the future scheme, would it not be more sensible to look at the rate of return and the …..."
Helen Goodman - View Speech

View all Helen Goodman (Lab - Bishop Auckland) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 07 Jun 2018
Oral Answers to Questions

"7. To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to support the provision of religious literacy training for Government Departments and embassies. ..."
Helen Goodman - View Speech

View all Helen Goodman (Lab - Bishop Auckland) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 07 Jun 2018
Oral Answers to Questions

"I am grateful to the right hon. Lady for that answer. Religious conflict is obviously worst in the middle east. My understanding is that the training is not compulsory. Will she have a conversation with the Minister with responsibility for the middle east and north Africa about this matter?..."
Helen Goodman - View Speech

View all Helen Goodman (Lab - Bishop Auckland) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Written Question
Members: Correspondence
Friday 27th April 2018

Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the letter of 21 February 2018 from the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland on the time taken to process the Basic Payment Scheme application of a constituent.

Answered by George Eustice

Defra received the letter on 9 March 2018 and a reply was sent on 18 April 2018.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 26 Apr 2018
Oral Answers to Questions

"Teesdale farmers tell me payments that should have been made under the higher level stewardship scheme are late. They are upland farmers on the lowest incomes. Will Ministers stop blaming Europe and sort out their own administration?..."
Helen Goodman - View Speech

View all Helen Goodman (Lab - Bishop Auckland) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 26 Apr 2018
Oral Answers to Questions

"3. To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what plans the Church of England has to support rural schools. ..."
Helen Goodman - View Speech

View all Helen Goodman (Lab - Bishop Auckland) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 26 Apr 2018
Oral Answers to Questions

"The Church obviously should be taking a long-term, if not eternal, approach on rural schools. People in Startforth were disappointed when a brief dip in performance led to the closure of that Church school, so in future will the Church take into account the significance of rural schools as community …..."
Helen Goodman - View Speech

View all Helen Goodman (Lab - Bishop Auckland) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Written Question
Agriculture: Subsidies
Thursday 26th April 2018

Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

What steps he has taken to reduce delays in processing applications for the basic payment scheme.

Answered by George Eustice

Since the introduction of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in 2015, the Rural Payments Agency has made improvements in the processing of applications including the introduction of online applications, online land and entitlement transfers, reducing the time to process transactions, and further support and guidance to help farmers successfully submit their applications. This has led to improvements in the BPS payment performance with over 90% of eligible farmers being paid by the end of December for the 2016 and 2017 scheme years.