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Economic Downturn (Unemployment)

Where tourism sits is clearly important, but who co-ordinates it on behalf of the Government is even more important. Whether the Minister for Tourism sits in the DCMS or the newly named business Department is critical to the success of the country’s efforts. The Government need to appoint a high-powered Minister for Tourism, who should have wide-ranging powers, so that they can co-ordinate with other Departments and ensure success. Time is moving on, Mr. Key, but, as a practising farmer, you would expect me to mention agriculture. Agriculture is also one of the largest sectors in the south-west region and also employs many people. It can produce more food for this country at a time when the world is probably shorter of food than it has ever been; there are food riots in many countries because they cannot afford to import more and more food. If we could grow more of our own food and import less from the third world, those countries would benefit. In 10 years the Labour Government have imposed more and more bureaucracy on farmers, so that they spend more and more time on paperwork and less and less on growing, and on producing animals as they are supposed to. I want to ask the Minister about one policy area that troubles the farmers of the south-west: tuberculosis. It is a very troubling issue for stock farmers throughout the south-west and it has got considerably worse in the past few years. The Government have not really gripped the issue. I know that there are six trial areas for the vaccine, but I am very sceptical, as is the National Farmers Union, about how much they will actually produce. What more action can the Minister take to reduce bureaucracy for farmers, and what is his positive policy towards eradicating TB in cattle.