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Showing every spoken contribution, including 12,832 under 12 words. Hide short remarks

1. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

   Sustainable Farming Incentive

   I thank the Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee for his measured intervention, and look forward to being before his Committee later this month. We obviously anticipated that there would be high demand for the scheme this year, which is why we had two windows and increased funding for the overall pot to £310 million—I have already mentioned the window 2 process. DEFRA expected strong initial demand, and made it clear before the window opened that its duration would depend on the rate of applications. Ministers obviously allocated the £50 million, and then the additional £20 million. We are really keen to learn from all in the sector what we can do to improve the scheme going forward, and I look forward to the right hon. Gentleman’s contributions in due course.

   Hansard source
2. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

   Sustainable Farming Incentive

   I thank my hon. Friend for the way he has engaged with me on thinking through the design for the scheme next year. He is right to say that some farmers reported technical issues with the application service, which prevented them from applying. It is normal to receive such reports after the application windows close. Some of the applications will be valid, and the RPA is currently working through them as we speak. If my hon. Friend has any particular examples that he wants to share with me, I can certainly take them away and raise questions with the relevant officials in my Department.

   Hansard source
3. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

   Sustainable Farming Incentive

   We are publishing the figures for applications across counties and constituencies, so I can certainly make that information available to the right hon. Member. More broadly, he makes a point about the demands that farmers are facing, and our farming road map, published earlier this year, is a 25-year plan to commit to a more profitable, productive sector and to building resilience in the farming community. I am very keen to work in partnership with the farmers in his constituency and area to make sure that is delivered.

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4. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

   Sustainable Farming Incentive

   My hon. Friend is a real champion for farmers in his constituency, as is very evident from the contributions that he makes in this House, which are so informed. He is absolutely right to call out the Opposition for the action or inaction that they took when they had the opportunity to work to improve the lives of farmers across our country. I am very happy to meet him on the specific points he raises to make sure I have his insight as we design the scheme for next year.

   Hansard source
5. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

   Sustainable Farming Incentive

   I thank the right hon. Member for the way he is engaging on these issues. Obviously, our annual report sets out how we spend the farming budget, and if he has not yet had a chance to see that, I encourage him to do so. I will certainly take back to the Department the specific points about the RPA and the frustrations of farmers in his constituency, and we will look into the issues he has raised.

   Hansard source
6. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

   Sustainable Farming Incentive

   It was a real pleasure to meet my hon. Friend recently to discuss some of the particular challenges her constituency is facing, and wider issues including bluetongue. I will certainly bear in mind the constructive points that she has raised as we design the scheme for next year.

   Hansard source
7. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

   Sustainable Farming Incentive

   I absolutely recognise the difficult year that farmers have faced across the country, and indeed in the hon. Member’s own constituency. That is why I am keen to open SFI27 as early as possible, and I gave that assurance from the Dispatch Box earlier. It is worth noting that this year, through all the schemes, £2.3 billion is going into the farming budget, as is £11.8 billion over the lifetime of this Parliament, but I am certainly keen to hear any further thoughts as we design the scheme for next year.

   Hansard source
8. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

   Sustainable Farming Incentive

   My hon. Friend will know that we were responding to our settlement from the Treasury. There is always more we can do. That is why we published our farming road map earlier this year, which sets out the direction of travel that we want to take when it comes to building a more resilient, productive farming sector, working in partnership with the sector to deliver nature-friendly farming.

   Hansard source
9. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

   Sustainable Farming Incentive

   I thank the hon. Member for her question and for encouraging me to visit Dartmoor recently. I know she was not able to join me, but it was a very insightful visit. I absolutely recognise the human difficulties for farmers who have not been able to apply for the scheme this year. If she has particular examples—as she has just described—that she wants to feed into me, it is really important that I hear them, so I thank her again. There is wider support available for farmers that we can signpost people to via the blog post on the DEFRA website.

   Hansard source
10. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    I thank my hon. Friend for the way in which he has been engaging with me already so that we can learn lessons from SFI26, and for convening colleagues in the process. Uplands are an area of priority for me. I am very impressed by the work Dr Hilary Cottam has been doing in Dartmoor. We are looking to deliver that scheme elsewhere in the country. It is absolutely something that I want to take forward with him and I look forward to doing so.

    Hansard source
11. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    The scheme was what it was; we inherited a mess from the previous Administration. I am keen to learn lessons from what worked. As I recognised earlier, I appreciate the heartache it has caused many farmers. There is more action we need to take.

    Hansard source
12. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    The hon. Member will have heard what I said at the outset with regard to our farming road map, which sets out the long-term vision for delivering a more nature-friendly farming sector. This year alone, as I mentioned, we have announced £2.3 billion going into the farming budget, with £11.8 billion going in over the lifetime of this Parliament. There are other schemes available for farmers; I encourage him to look at the DEFRA blog, which sets out those details further.

    Hansard source
13. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    I will take no lectures from the Conservatives; they had a scheme that was half-baked and did not deliver anything nor put money in the pockets of farmers.

    Hansard source
14. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    That is a little rich coming from the right hon. Member, who served in the previous Conservative Government, which designed the scheme. If he wants to be constructive and engage with my Department on any particular examples of how we can improve the scheme going forward, I would like to hear from him.

    Hansard source
15. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    I said at the outset that it has been a brutal year for farmers across our country, with drought, rising input costs and various other factors. I hear those messages loud and clear from the regular engagement that I have with the farming community. We need to learn lessons, but I remind the hon. Gentleman that we inherited most of the scheme from the previous Government.

    Hansard source
16. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    I said at the outset that there are lessons that need to be learnt from the scheme this year, so I hope that the hon. Member has heard that message loud and clear. If the hon. Member has particular examples and frustrations from farmers in her constituency, then I encourage her to get in touch with me. It is really important that we learn lessons from this scheme as we continue to make improvements for next year.

    Hansard source
17. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    I am engaging all the time with farmers across the country and their representatives. They are at the heart of our redesign of the scheme for next year. Workshops are starting today, and I have already met with representatives from the NFU and been on farms listening to farmers’ views—both from those who applied and those who were unable to do so. I absolutely understand the frustrations that people feel, but I am committed to improving the process for the future.

    Hansard source
18. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    I do not accept that we have not learned lessons from the past. That is why we made a number of changes for SFI26, as I set out at the outset of my statement. Of course I am sorry if people applied for this scheme and were unsuccessful, and I understand people’s frustrations, and that is why I am working hard to put it right.

    Hansard source
19. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    I thank the right hon. Member for his question. As I said at the outset, it is worth noting that £2.3 billion has been made available for the farming budget this year, with £11.8 billion for sustainable farming throughout the lifetime of this Parliament. If he has particular examples of farmers who have been unable to apply for SFI26, I encourage him to share those with me. For the first time since the second world war, a Government have published a farming road map to bring certainty to the sector, and I am busy getting on delivering that, working in partnership with the sector to ensure a profitable, productive and more resilient farming sector for the future.

    Hansard source
20. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. I absolutely appreciate the difficulties that farmers have faced and the challenges that many have faced in applying for the scheme this year. As our manifesto says, food security is national security, and we are working through what that looks like in the Department. We have set out a clear vision through the road map for the future to bring certainty and consistency to the sector.

    Hansard source
21. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    I thank the right hon. Lady for her question. As I mentioned at the outset, it was her Government who introduced the “first come, first served” approach. We are absolutely keen to ensure that we make changes and improvements for future years, and if she has practical ideas about how we make that happen, I would be delighted to hear from her.

    Hansard source
22. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    I thank the hon. Member for her question, and I can assure her that I have met the RPA on the lessons learned from the scheme and what worked well this year, and we will analyse what the applications tell us.

    Hansard source
23. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    We will publish more information about future rounds in due course. The hon. Gentleman will have heard my message that we are keen to open SFI27 as early as possible into the new year. There are lots of ways that farmers can feed in their thoughts and views on the scheme for the future, and there are other funding schemes available for farmers, so I encourage him to check the DEFRA blog for that information.

    Hansard source
24. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    I am very happy to meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss those issues.

    Hansard source
25. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    Our annual report obviously sets out how the farming budget is spent. When we announce future rounds of schemes, we set out the overall budget available. I mentioned earlier the amount available for SFI this year. We will continue to be as transparent as we can beyond the figures available for farmers.

    Hansard source
26. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Stephen Morgan

    Sustainable Farming Incentive

    I always appreciate a question from the hon. Gentleman. We will certainly look into the issues that he describes. Farming is a devolved matter, but he knows my commitment to working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Government. I have already met with my counterparts in Northern Ireland.

    Hansard source
27. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sonia Kumar

    Business of the House

    The month, the historic UNESCO Wren’s Nest celebrates 70 years. Will my right hon. Friend join me in thanking the Friends of Wren’s Nest, such as Paul Floyd, geologist Graham Worton and others who ensure that the 420-million-year-old treasures are protected for the next generation? Will he allow a debate on protecting such precious habitats as the Wren’s Nest? He is always welcome to visit my constituency and pick up a fossil.

    Hansard source
28. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    The business for the week commencing 19 October will include: Monday 19 October—Committee of the whole House of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, day one. Tuesday 20 October—Conclusion of Committee and remaining stages of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill. Wednesday 21 October—Consideration of an allocation of time motion, followed by all stages of the Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill, followed by Opposition day, 4th allotted day, first half, followed by a debate on a motion in the name of the Liberal Democrats, subject to be announced. Thursday 22 October—Tributes to the Clerk of the House, followed by general debate on Black History Month. Friday 23 October—The House will not be sitting. The provisional business for the week commencing 26 October will include: Monday 26 October—General debate on the performance of Royal Mail, followed by general debate on the emerging risks of advanced AI. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee. Tuesday 27 October—Second Reading of the Building Safety (Remediation of Unsafe Cladding etc) Bill. Wednesday 28 October—My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will deliver his Budget statement. Thursday 29 October—Continuation of the Budget debate. Friday 30 October—The House will not be sitting.

    Hansard source
29. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    May I associate myself absolutely with the comments of the shadow Leader of the House about Sir David Amess? As he said, today is the fifth anniversary of his tragic murder, and I know that the thoughts of the whole House remain with his loved ones. He was well regarded on both sides of the House. He was a mentor to lots of new Members and a fantastic constituency MP. What happened was an absolute tragedy. I welcome Members back to the House after the conference recess, and congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Holborn and St Pancras (Sagal Abdi-Wali), who joined us on Monday. It is also good to see the shadow Leader of the House in his place. We missed him earlier in the week, and I was concerned that he was still in the half-empty conference hall in Birmingham, wondering whether the shadow Chancellor, the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Andrew Griffith), had actually finished his speech. It was a busy conference season. At the Labour conference, the Prime Minister made several important announcements, including plans for a national care service, which will provide the elderly with free personal care. The Government have also announced that the triple lock will remain until the end of this Parliament, following which it will be adjusted, not least to pay for the new national care service. I do not blame the official Opposition for doing this, because it is part of their job, but they did jump in very quickly to oppose any change to the triple lock. I find that quite surprising, because in August 2021, the shadow Chancellor wrote a comment piece entitled “Unpick the triple lock”, and I understand that the view that it should be unpicked is shared by the current shadow Communities Secretary—the hon. Member for Weald of Kent (Katie Lam)—and at least one former Chancellor. It appears to me that the Conservative party is tying itself in knots on the matter. It would be very helpful if the Leader of the Opposition, or someone from her shadow Cabinet, came to the House to clear up the confusion. Let me turn to the Budget. I did announce, in the forthcoming business, the date of the Budget and the beginning of the debate that will follow. I hope that in that debate the House will be able to reflect on Britain’s economic outlook. To that end, I draw to the House’s attention this week’s positive report from the International Monetary Fund, which upgraded our growth to 1.3% this year, joint second highest in the G7, and the comments of the IMF’s chief economist, who said that the UK “stands out”—his words, not mine—on deficit reduction, with our deficit falling significantly more than other G7 nations’. In other good news this morning, GDP has grown more than expected. We are not complacent, but the Chancellor is absolutely focused on priorities to boost business, help with the cost of living and support people in every postcode, all underpinned by the fiscal discipline that characterises this Government. Flood Action Week—this ties in with what the right hon. Gentleman said about the situation in his constituency —started on Monday. The Government have invested £4.2 billion in flood protection measures, and we have new targets to improve flood protection for 200,000 properties. On Monday, we also launched the flood action online portal, which brings together clear, actionable guidance for people to check their flood risk and find the latest weather alerts. On flooding, I thank Members on both sides of the House who have raised the issue regularly at business questions. To address the particular issue that the right hon. Gentleman rightly raised on behalf of his constituents, however, let me say two things further. First, if he wants to make his case to the Floods Minister, I will arrange for him to do so. Secondly, on making representations to the Chancellor, I will ensure that the Chancellor hears what he has said, although I will not say—because I do not know—what is in the Budget. On the other points the right hon. Member made, I am not sure that he is being characteristically fair, as he normally is, because the Prime Minister has acknowledged that he misspoke. The right hon. Gentleman was out quite quickly, and rightly, to make his case yesterday, and the Prime Minister did respond. He said that he misspoke, he has apologised and he has corrected the record. There is no excuse for misspeaking in the House and I am not trying to explain that away, but this Prime Minister is characterised by an authenticity and a passion in the way that he responds. It is not unusual for Prime Ministers or anybody else to misspeak in the House. As long as they correct the record, which he has done, that should be put into perspective. The right hon. Gentleman also raises the issue of Manchester City, and the Prime Minister again has been characteristically clear. He has made it clear that the initial judgment on the club is very serious and that no one is suggesting that anybody is above the rules. There is an ongoing independent process. It is important that it is allowed to run its course as quickly and as fairly as possible. At the end of that, if the Sport Minister needs to come to make a statement to this House, I am quite sure that she will do so.

    Hansard source
30. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I certainly join my hon. Friend in everything he said about Sir David Amess and in recognising the importance that he gave to involving young people in our parliamentary process. To that end, I welcome the child MPs to the House today. I wish them well in everything they do, and it is important that we support not just their learning about the political process but exploring how they can contribute more to it.

    Hansard source
31. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I am sure the House will not have missed the hon. Gentleman’s opening comments when he talked about his party’s “positions” on Europe—it is not unusual for the Lib Dems to have many positions on many things. I am sure he enjoyed his conference, not least because he probably got more sleep than he might have done with a young child at home, but there we are. The difference between our conference and his is that the leader of our party came out strengthened from our conference; I am not sure the Lib Dems can say the same. On the serious matter that the hon. Gentleman raises, we have granted over 230,000 visas under the British national overseas visa route, and we are honouring our commitment to support Hongkongers facing political pressure. We remain committed to supporting Hong Kong residents and welcoming eligible applications under the scheme. Every application involving a prior conviction is assessed individually on its merits. We are ensuring that actions that are not considered criminal offences under UK law do not bar applicants from safety, but I give him my word that I will go back to the Home Office, and if that needs to be clarified, I will draw that to its attention

    Hansard source
32. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I am sure the whole House will join me and the hon. Gentleman in extending our most heartfelt condolences to the friends and families of those who have lost their lives. I join him in paying tribute to the brave members of the RNLI and the coastguard involved in the search and rescue. I am a coastal MP, and it is coming up to the 60th anniversary of the loss of the Gaul, the biggest single trawler loss in the industry’s history; six of those men were from my constituency, and we marked that event over the summer. I know absolutely the importance of that loss and how it is felt in fishing communities, and I know how important the work of the RNLI and coastguard is and how deeply appreciated they are.

    Hansard source
33. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    As ever, I thank the hon. Gentleman for his work chairing the Committee, and indeed I thank the whole Committee for its work. On the baby loss debate, not only was the allocated time protected, but there was an element of discipline, which I welcome. I do not think the approach is perfect, but we are getting there. I will bear in mind what he says about Monday 26 October. My initial reaction is that it is not always necessary or welcome to have guaranteed time for debates, and perhaps we should take this on a case-by-case basis, but I will give some thought to what he says. I take away the point about ensuring that the Committee has full membership, and I will seek to ensure that the issue is resolved as quickly as possible. I will also ask the Front-Bench spokespersons for Black History Month to bear in mind what he said, and to ensure that in the debate on the subject, Back Benchers—it would probably otherwise have been a Backbench Business debate—get the time that they need. I will get to the hon. Gentleman’s serious point about the protection of minorities, but it would be remiss of me not to send our most heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of those impacted by the tragic school collapse in Pakistan; news of it came out overnight. I hope the whole House will join me in sending our heartfelt best wishes to those communities. On the treatment of Hindus and others, the UK strongly condemns all instances of hate or violence directed towards minority religious communities in Pakistan, including Shi’a Muslims, Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs. We work with the international community to promote human rights, in partnership with Pakistan, but I will draw the hon. Gentleman’s comments to the attention of the FCDO. I hear what he says about there being lots of other things going on, not least what is happening in Ukraine and the middle east, but that is no excuse for our taking our eye off the ball in situations where we can do something to help.

    Hansard source
34. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I thank my hon. Friend for raising this matter again. She is doing an excellent job of keeping it at the forefront of our mind. The safeguarding of young children is our utmost priority. Over the summer, we have announced a range of measures to improve early years safeguarding. The Department for Education has established an expert advisory group on safeguarding, which is looking at the use of CCTV and digital devices in early years settings; it will report before Christmas. If she is seeking a meeting with the Department to get an update on these matters, I will help her to arrange one.

    Hansard source
35. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I too met Guide Dogs at our conference. It does a fantastic job campaigning on a really important issue. As the hon. Gentleman said, the Government have taken some steps forward on this issue, but we recognise that there are more things to do. I cannot guarantee him a statement on the subject, but if he wants to hear from the mouths of Ministers about our plans, he might seek a Westminster Hall debate or Adjournment debate on the issue.

    Hansard source
36. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    My hon. Friend is a strong advocate on these issues. If she seeks an Adjournment debate or a Westminster Hall debate on the subject, she could put these matters directly to Ministers. The Government are keen to do all we can on this, but an Adjournment debate or a Westminster Hall debate is the way forward for her.

    Hansard source
37. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    I am sure that the right hon. Gentleman will make his points about the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829, and the discrimination against Jews under the provisions from the 1860s, which banned them from doing certain things, in the debate, if he is able to. The difference is that we have a Catholic Prime Minister, so it is key that nothing gets in the way of him taking part in any deliberations. I am sure that the House is keen to make these changes to outdated legislation. There is a report suggesting a way forward on restoration and renewal. I have committed to bringing forward a motion on the subject, because I absolutely agree with the right hon. Gentleman: it is time that we got on with this work. There is not full agreement across the House about what that means, but it is important that we get a debate. He should not believe everything that he is told, or reads, about any postponement. The purpose is not to postpone restoration and renewal; the reality is that it has been postponed for far too long. The longer we postpone it, the more it costs not just to keep this place functioning, but to eventually get round to doing something about it. However, I admit that my approach has not been to rush into this work, or to get the House to rush into it, because I want consensus, if we can get it. That is the best way of going forward. There is not a consensus, but we can work toward one. I want to build in as many safeguards as possible. For example, I would like to see the outcome of the inquiry by the Public Accounts Committee. Quite rightly, MPs will ask, “How do you ensure that this work will provide value for money, if you decide to do it?”. On timing, all I would say is that we need to get on with this work, so watch this space.

    Hansard source
38. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    My hon. Friend may want to make that point directly either to Ministers in the Department for Transport or, if we are talking about essential infrastructure, to the Cabinet Office. I can help arrange that for her. She could also seek a debate on the subject, because I am sure that there are colleagues across the House, not least from London, who will share her frustration about what is happening. They could then hear from a Minister on how the Government could best resolve the matter.

    Hansard source
39. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    This Session is quite crowded, and one should not read into the fact that a Bill does not appear in it that it is not important to the Government. It is sometimes a question of priority, and what needs to be done. I hear what the hon. Gentleman says, but the Government are absolutely committed to doing everything we can to ensure that we in this country stand by our allies and are able to defend ourselves. I will not speculate about what is in the third Session of this Parliament, but I will give this some thought, and will talk to the Defence Secretary, as the hon. Gentleman suggests, to ensure that this is at the forefront of his mind.

    Hansard source
40. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Labour·Sir Alan Campbell

    Business of the House

    Yes, I will. Rabbi Bernd Koschland led a remarkable life. He dedicated himself to educating us about the horrors of the Holocaust, which we must never, ever forget, and we are eternally grateful to him for his significant contribution to our country. I am sure that the whole House will join me in sending our condolences to his friends, family and all those who knew him.

    Hansard source