Oral Answers to Questions

Matt Vickers Excerpts

Thursday 18th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Emma Hardy]

The hon. Gentleman is quite right: of course we want a regulator with teeth, able to identify the exact source of pollution. As we have already said about our water White Paper, there will be a regional element it order to be able to in more detail at those particular catchments to identify the main source of pollution in each catchment and, therefore, the best actions to take to address it.

[Matt Vickers (Stockton West) (Con)]

8. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of her policies on farming communities.

[The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs (Dame Angela Eagle)]

While the Conservatives failed to spend £300 million of the farming budget, we are backing farmers with the largest nature-friendly budget in history, and 50,000 farm businesses and half of all farmed land are now managed under our schemes. We have today published our initial response to Baroness Batters’ recommendations on farm profitability, and we are developing our 25-year farming road map.

[Matt Vickers]

I have met many farmers from my part of the world who have shared with me the horrific consequences of the family farm tax on food prices, on food security and on families who have farmed for generations. This morning’s farming profitability review identifies that that is the single biggest issue affecting farm viability. I believe that if the Minister heard at first hand from farmers in my part of the world, she might think again. Will she meet them?

[Dame Angela Eagle]

I meet farmers all the time, and I intend to spend the early part of next year, and hopefully many years thereafter, continuing to do so.