Oral Answers to Questions Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
Tim Farron
Main Page: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)Department Debates - View all Tim Farron's debates with the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
(2 months, 2 weeks ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Andrew Bowie
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. Obviously, I do not know the detail of the case he raised, but I am very happy to meet him following questions to look at it in more detail. Despite what I said about the quasi-judicial role of Ministers in planning applications, it is really important that all concerns are addressed and looked at, and that the planning application system is thorough, robust and transparent.
Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)
On land use for food production and achieving net zero, has the Minister done an impact assessment of the rising carbon emissions from the UK Government carrying on with their agricultural policy, which is reducing incentives for farmers to produce food? As a consequence, we will import more food. As things stand, we produce only 60% of the food we eat; importing more and more food will surely increase carbon emissions. Has the Minister looked into that, and done an impact assessment of it?
Andrew Bowie
At the National Farmers Union conference just last week, the Prime Minister reiterated this Government’s commitment to supporting British farmers in their primary role of delivering food for the nation. It would be good to see the Liberal Democrats give their support to British farmers in so forceful a manner. We are absolutely determined to do what we can to support British farmers in continuing to deliver that food—and, indeed, to support the technologies that we need to reach our net zero commitments, which I am led to believe the Liberal Democrats still support.