Speeches by Riddell-Carpenter.

“I thank the right hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Graham Stuart) for bringing this important issue to the Chamber for a full and thorough discussion. I want to highlight a few issues in Suffolk Coastal. I recently had quite a large conversation with many parents in my constituency. Nearly 100 parents filled in…”

“Perhaps the hon. Member will agree with what I am about to say, which is that, yes, funding is part of the issue, but we need to look at the entire system to solve it at the scale that is needed. In rural areas—the right hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness spoke about this at the beginning of the debate—the issues …”

“I could not agree more with the right hon. Gentleman, which is why I and so many Members are passionate about this issue. Those who cannot articulate or fight for themselves need people to stand up and fight for them. In many discussions I have had, I have worked with my constituents and with schools to come up with si…”

“I wonder whether my hon. Friend agrees that new clause 56 in my name would also enhance biodiversity. Simple acts such as providing bird boxes and swift bricks can enhance the environment in the way that my hon. Friend suggests.”

“I welcome the hon. Member’s contribution, as she is speaking to my new clause 61. This is a huge issue in Suffolk Coastal, where we have National Grid and ScottishPower Renewables making landfall, and farmers in my constituency have a similar experience to farmers in her constituency. After this debate, perhaps we can …”

“It is no exaggeration to say that during the pandemic, thousands of constituents were helping out in volunteering roles with the NHS and across their community in Suffolk Coastal. Will the Minister reassure my constituents that those who want to play a part in volunteering can continue to do so? Perhaps she would outli…”

“T9. I welcome the recent investment of £117 million in Rock barracks in my constituency, which will deliver new living accommodation, technical facilities and a much-needed upgrade to assets by spring 2030. What plans does the Department have to bring unused military homes back into use for families in Suffolk Coastal?”

“12. What steps his Department has taken to commemorate Victory in Europe Day.”

“Victory in Europe celebrations in Suffolk Coastal last week were a poignant reminder of the need to continue to press for peace today both in Ukraine and in securing an end to the war in Palestine. Does the Foreign Secretary agree with me that the lessons of world war two must not be forgotten as innocent civilians con…”

“Helen Buckingham, a chartered environmental health practitioner, told the Committee that national policymakers have “an extreme lack of understanding about enforcement delivery on the frontline”. Given that insight, what mechanisms do you have to engage with teams on the frontline? How does this inform your own policym…”

“Before I do, I am going to carry on a bit of a theme that we have established there. I represent Suffolk Coastal, and the port of Felixstowe is in my constituency. The port of Felixstowe and the port users have sought to engage with DEFRA for quite a while now, predating April last year. They fed back to DEFRA that the…”

“That is perfect. I will correspond with them on that. Historically, predating April last year and from when these checks started to happen, it is also about the lack of communications between DEFRA and port users and port authorities.”

“Moving on to strategy and looking at the future and how we manage some of the challenges that we have discussed here, as well as some wider ones, there are so many Departments, agencies and authorities involved in it. Who is providing the strategic oversight and leadership to drive forward some of the improvements that…”

“I understand that. I will move on in a moment, but I just want to reiterate two small points. The inconsistencies in how national policies are implemented can have a commercial impact on how different ports are able to react, and can disadvantage some ports over others.”

“I mean in terms of some of the broader issues that we have touched on today. There are clearly some better workings that are needed. This is a cross-cutting issue. There are many issues around broader aspects of biosecurity. Who is convening and leading on the multi-agency approach?”

“They would bite your hand off for that.”

“We know anecdotally that there are inconsistencies in national policies being applied locally, with more checks being carried out at the port of Felixstowe than elsewhere. That has a huge impact for port users and for the port of Felixstowe. Do you acknowledge the challenges that that creates?”

“More generally in terms of building the intelligence picture for meat smuggling.”

“Border Force has told us that DEFRA is responsible for intelligence on meat smuggling. How do you build into the intelligence picture? What are the limitations as you see them?”

“When you are having those meetings, is one of the items that you discuss specifically on driving collaboration and improvement?”