Question time briefing: Environment, food and rural affairs

ePolitix.com outlines Thursday's environment, food and rural affairs questions in the Commons.

Shadow environment secretary Nick Herbert has accused the government of failing to fight Britain's corner during European agriculture negotiations.

Speaking during environment, food and rural affairs questions in the Commons, he said it is now time for the government to "stand aside".

"When is the government going to stand up for Britain's interests in Europe?" Herbert asked.

"Britain's farmers would be dismayed that the government thinks we got a good deal.

"If he can't do better, isn't it time to stand aside and make way for a government who will?" he asked

But environment secretary Hilary Benn rejected Herbert's criticisms, arguing the government had led the way in calling for reform.

"There is no country in the EU that has done more to argue against the pesticides directive than the UK," Benn told MPs.

He also argued that the UK had been pushing for reform of the electronic sheep tagging directive.

However, he acknowledged that agreement was needed amongst other member states before serious reform could be achieved.

Peter Bone (Con, Wellingborough) said that under the "golden age" of Tony Blair, the government had promised that negotiations over the UK's EU rebate were directly linked to reform of the common agricultural policy (Cap).

Bone said: "We've seen no reform in Cap. We've seen a massive increase in our contributions.

"Isn't the EU again fleecing the British people to prop up French farmers?"

Sir Nicholas Winterton (Con, Macclesfield) also attacked EU agriculture expenditure.

"Isn't it about time the Cap and the endeavours of the UK government were directed more at helping UK farmers rather than allowing a very substantial sum to go to relatively inefficient farmers in other countries?" he said.

Benn replied that it was wrong to say there had been no reform. "Thirty years ago, 80 per cent of the EU budget went on CAP," he stated. "Now it is around 42 per cent."

"The process of change requires agreement across all member states, not all of whom share our views for reform," he added.

Benn said that the agriculture policy had undermined the capacity of producers in other parts of the world, and that the removal of export subsidies remained and "important task".

"The government is looking as always to get the most effective expenditure," he added.

Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Tim Farron said that 15,000 UK farmers earn less than £10,000 a year, below the national minimum wage.

"Cap needs to be reformed to ensure payments go to farmers who need it," he said.

And shadow environment minster Anne McIntosh argued the government should admit its ambitious biodiversity targets were misplaced.

McIntosh said that nine out of ten of its biodiversity targets were going to be missed.

Environment minister Huw Irranca-Davies acknowledged that the targets were ambitious, but argued this helped to drive the process forward.

"It is right that the UK leads the way in tackling biodiversity," he said.

Shadow environment minister Richard Benyon called on the government to back the Conservative Party's 'honest food campaign' calling for tougher guidelines on country of origin labelling.

Environment minister Jane Kennedy said that she was not "challenged" by the campaign. "I welcome the fact that the campaign is raising the profile of British produce," she said.

The chairman of the environment, food and rural affairs committee, Michael Jack (Con, Fylde), raised concerns over the spread of bovine tuberculosis.

He said there was unease about the spread of the disease in animals such as cats and dogs.

Jack also asked whether there was a method of testing badgers caught in the field.

Benn said that there was no "reliable" in-field test for badgers with TB. "It isn't quite as easy as some argue to identify a badger that has TB in the field," he added.