Speeches by Jermy.

“Thank you very much for your time today. Many years ago I was a member of the eastern regional flood and coastal committee, as a Norfolk county council representative. It was quite a while ago, in about 2013 or 2014, and I remember distinctly that they were still quite new and setting up. Maybe things have moved on sin…”

“Certainly, from my experience, taking the eastern region as a good example, dozens of councils are affected at county and district level. There is critical infrastructure, and I am thinking back to the north Norfolk coast and Sizewell in Suffolk. There are also lots of Government Departments, the Environment Agency and…”

“Do you think they are the right size? These areas that they cover are vast, and I distinctly remember, as a member for Norfolk, discussing coastal erosion and flooding in Essex, for example, which I had absolutely no knowledge about. Does it work being at a regional level, or could it be improved if it was slightly dif…”

“Julie, the top bosses of the EA were before this Committee a couple of weeks ago, and I think it is fair to say that as an organisation they have a complete list of different responsibilities and challenges in the role that the EA performs. Are there sufficient resources to look at flooding and coastal erosion specific…”

“I am very pleased to hear that. Thank you. If I may, Jaap, some of the regional flood and coastal committees are quite focused on coastal erosion, and others are focused on flooding, for example . In your experience, is there the right split between coastal erosion experts versus flooding experts? Do you have the right…”

“It does vary. I am south-west Norfolk; I am about as far away from the coast as you can get in Norfolk, but we had a lot of lowland flooding issues, so it is good that there is a balance. The local levy funding was always a bit of a dark art. I never quite understood how that all worked, to be honest. What proportion o…”

“I agree. That is the point my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridge (Daniel Zeichner) made earlier. That is a long overdue measure on a long list forgotten under the previous Government, but it is essential. I am sure we will be reminded that, overall, only a very small proportion of solar is to take up agricultural lan…”

“Because there is that tension between whether you fund coastal erosion or flooding. There is always a constant list of projects and never enough money. Julie, do you want to add to that?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I thank the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Wendy Morton) for securing this debate. My constituency consists of many acres of high-quality farmland. I am proud to be a Labour MP representing such a vibrant rural community with farming at its core. …”

“Thank you very much for your time today. Many years ago I was a member of the eastern regional flood and coastal committee, as a Norfolk county council representative. It was quite a while ago, in about 2013 or 2014, and I remember distinctly that they were still quite new and setting up. Maybe things have moved on sin…”

“Certainly, from my experience, taking the eastern region as a good example, dozens of councils are affected at county and district level. There is critical infrastructure, and I am thinking back to the north Norfolk coast and Sizewell in Suffolk. There are also lots of Government Departments, the Environment Agency and…”

“The natural environment in my constituency is fantastic. It is of huge value to my constituents and it underpins Norfolk’s greatest economic driver, tourism, which is fundamental to rural areas like mine. I am especially proud that we have so many beautiful chalk streams and rivers, the most impressive of which, the Ri…”

“So often, farmers are the best conservationists. Many want to do even more to support the environment and animal welfare, but profitability and sustainability are key. Will the Minister confirm whether the Department will consider financial support for farmers to move towards more sustainable and strong animal welfare …”

“One of the things that constantly worries me is the mental health challenges in rural communities, particularly farming. Sarah touched on some of the challenges that exist. Many of them we cannot control—weather and climate being a good example. There are policies though, SFI, ELM, where we do have a degree of control …”

“Okay. I am not anti-hedgerow.”

“Thank you and congratulations on your appointment. I wanted to follow up the point specifically about SFI because I was quite struck in my own constituency by how few farmers were accessing that support and generally engaging with DEFRA over time with the different ELM schemes. When will the revised scheme be announced…”

“Okay. I am pleased to hear that because I very much see DEFRA as being a friend of the farming community but they do not always see that at the moment. There are challenges around communications and accessibility so if that can be taken on board. I am very passionate about hedgerows. We have some fantastic hedgerows in…”

“But I am pleased that you have taken the opportunity to look at what has worked previously and what might work differently going forward because I think there are some missed opportunities. The only other thing I wanted to ask was about the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme because that closes at the end of December. It i…”

“So often the farm is the very core of a rural economy. Could my hon. Friend confirm what assessment has been made about the impact of proposed changes to agricultural property relief on growth opportunities in rural areas and the viability of rural communities?”

“A report by the Rural Coalition highlights that with the right policy framework, the rural economy could increase productivity, leading to an additional £19 billion a year. Will the Secretary of State outline what steps the Department is taking to help to support businesses in rural areas, such as my constituency, to u…”