Speeches by Bool.

“In March, the Government released their steel strategy, which talked about taking bold steps to help to grow the industry. The bold steps that we have before us include granting powers to nationalise the industry and introducing a 50% tariff in six weeks’ time on the import of steel products that can also be made in th…”

“I will be sure to write to the Minister with more details. First, none of this steel can realistically be made in the UK. The Government have provided a list of potential suppliers, but the majority, including British Steel, only make commercial not aerospace-grade steel, and the only company that might, Speciality Ste…”

“Food inflation is forecast by the Food and Drink Federation to reach at least 9% by the end of this year. Energy costs are driving up food inflation, as are a lot of the other anti-business policies put forward by this Government, including not incorporating food manufacturing in the industrial strategy. When will the …”

“Back to the 1 July tariffs: the quotas are too small and the commodity codes are too broad. The steel required for aerospace can come only from, I think, SSUK, which is currently in liquidation. That grade of steel cannot be produced elsewhere—that is for commercial steel. Businesses will be bankrupted within six month…”

“I want to raise a case of gift card fraud. My constituent Nigel Bannister was recently given a gift card as a birthday present, but, by the time he came to redeem it, the money had gone. This is a rising trend, where people are taking a photograph of the cards and stealing the PIN details, and claiming them before some…”

“How do you then keep it affordable, though? Obviously, if it is going to be highly nutritious, which you would hope it always would be, then how? Other than discounting it, how do you do it?”

“Many farmers, small businesses and residents have had access to their properties disrupted by the construction of HS2. The Wilcoxes in my constituency have been battling for more than five years to get a simple deed of easement to guarantee access to their property. As a former property lawyer, I know that is a very si…”

“The communication element is certainly important. Villagers in Greatworth and Radstone in Northamptonshire have been massively isolated by the works that have been carried out, while the active travel route that Brackley residents wanted has not been possible because it is bypassed by HS2. Does my hon. Friend agree tha…”

“I just want to follow up, because obviously we have talked about the just-in-time model, but then in your report you talk about moving to a more just-in-case model. Obviously you have talked about the importance of storage and that resilience, but if we were to try to take that step tomorrow how else would we move, do …”

“Chair, that has basically covered the section I was going to come to later. As you said, it is about that prioritisation. That takes that section out.”

“Dame Helen, thank you for your answers so far. As the Chair alluded to, the future of our relationship with the EU is coming into a sharp focus, especially for the EFRA Committee with the SPS negotiations coming forward, which is likely to involve dynamic alignment. Given that concept and the Government seemingly movin…”

“Yes. That dynamic alignment point will become a big issue to think about.”

“In talking about the independence, the Government will obviously have one priority going one way and there will be that balancing side. One of the concerns that we have with the SPS agreement is it says, “sanitary and phytosanitary”, so it is the movement of animal and plant products. Also around other elements, for ex…”

“It is quite shocking really, is it not?”

“You are right. A few of my farmers have mentioned the red diesel particularly; prices have risen by about 60%. Do you think this is a tipping point for farm viability and what happens to the UK food production if the costs remain elevated?”

“Yes. One of my colleagues will come to that shortly, so you will have a perfect opportunity. I guess the question now then is: what do you think the Government should be doing to be able to support smaller food producers that are obviously going to be disproportionately affected? What sort of measures would you want to…”

“It is quite shocking really, is it not?”

“Just a final question, which you have touched on because as you said this is the third shock that we have had so we have to look at the immediate support but then also long-term support. What specific long-term interventions would you want to see from the Government to try to help with resilience for any of the future …”

“Welcome everyone. We are going to look at the impact of the war in Iran. Jo and Rohit, could you give us a brief overview of the issues currently facing UK agriculture as a result of the impact of the conflict?”

“Welcome everyone. We are going to look at the impact of the war in Iran. Jo and Rohit, could you give us a brief overview of the issues currently facing UK agriculture as a result of the impact of the conflict?”