Speeches by Dyke.

“Thinking about a strategy to tackle the issue across government, with both port health authorities and local authorities, what do you think the strategy could look like?”

“You mentioned some areas we could work on to help prevent diseases coming into the country. Do you think Border Force should interact better with our European neighbours to tackle the flow of illegal meat products?”

“Do you think the 2 kg threshold for personal use is confusing and difficult to enforce, and that perhaps we should look at a zero tolerance scheme instead?”

“Christine, significant amounts of illegal meat are entering the UK despite Border Force’s 24-7 presence at the border. We have heard this morning that 200 tonnes of threshold have now been confiscated by Dover. How can we strengthen our border controls to reduce the risk to public health and prevent diseases like Afric…”

“That intervention needs to come quicker; 18 months is too long. Having those conversations undoubtedly has a knock-on effect to veterinary professionals as well, because at the end of the day, you are not trained counsellors. What impact is it having on the veterinary workforce and how do you think we can mitigate it?”

“Sarah, turning to you, what assessment have you made of the merits of establishing an independent agency to manage bovine TB outbreaks?”

“Exactly. On that, do you feel the Farming Community Network has a sufficient amount of funding support to deal with the amount of demand you are experiencing?”

“Do you think Government across all its Departments are doing enough to support farmers’ mental health during disease outbreaks?”

“That is really interesting. The stats show that, from the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak, 73% of farmers in Somerset experienced depression and anxiety. If we are going to move forward into potentially another outbreak, do you have any stats around how farmers might deal with their mental health struggles? To me, we have…”

“Coming from a farming family myself, I know there is an element of stigma that is still involved, the proudness that the farming community has. There is also that difference of working in isolation. To have somebody they know who talks the same language as them is important, and the work your volunteers do makes such a…”

“Jude, coming to you first, I wanted to say a huge thank you for the work your organisation does to help support farmers and those involved in the industry, particularly the 400 volunteers you have. I have met with several volunteers in my constituency, Glastonbury and Somerton, and their compassion and resilience in th…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for bringing forward this important debate. I know how much he enjoys a dip in the River Tone. The River Parrett in Langport is a well known and loved body of water for swimming and water sports, which I hope will soon become a designated bathing water site. Sadly, polluters discharged sewage int…”

“The Liberal Democrats welcome the plan’s commitment to social housing and to ensuring that development is community-led. However, it is disappointing that Somerset will not feel the benefit, given that demand for social housing in Glastonbury and Somerton, and across the county, vastly outweighs supply. Can the Ministe…”

“Christine, significant amounts of illegal meat are entering the UK despite Border Force’s 24-7 presence at the border. We have heard this morning that 200 tonnes of threshold have now been confiscated by Dover. How can we strengthen our border controls to reduce the risk to public health and prevent diseases like Afric…”

“Thank you. Jenny, over to you. Is there anything you want to add?”

“Finally, what role do the Port Health Authorities play in intercepting non-compliant products of animal origin and deterring smugglers? And how could this be bolstered, given the issues that we have with the amount of meat that is now being imported into the country?”

“Do you think the legal deterrents that are in place at the moment are currently strong enough to deter illegal meat imports?”

“I note the Secretary of State is working with the Home Office on plans to seize and destroy vehicles used to smuggle meat. Do you think that alone will solve the problem?”

“Thinking about a strategy to tackle the issue across government, with both port health authorities and local authorities, what do you think the strategy could look like?”

“I have spoken to many Ukrainian families who have made their homes in Glastonbury and Somerton after fleeing Russian aggression in Ukraine. Many of them are concerned about the decision to exclude time spent in the UK under the long residence route, which is different from other schemes and could be subject to costly l…”