My Lords, the memoir of the noble Baroness, Lady Batters, titled Harvest: A Farmer’s Story of Heritage, Home and Hope, has just been published. I notice that she dedicated it:

“To farmers, their families and all those who feed us”.

That is a fitting reminder of the importance of today’s debate. While...

My Lords, the memoir of the noble Baroness, Lady Batters, titled Harvest: A Farmer’s Story of Heritage, Home and Hope, has just been published. I notice that she dedicated it:

“To farmers, their families and all those who feed us”.

That is a fitting reminder of the importance of today’s debate. While...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Fuller, for bringing forward this important discussion, and I welcome back the noble Lord, Lord Roborough, after a brief interregnum.

To repeat what the noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh, has said, our rural economy contributes over £240 billion annually and encompasses most of our...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Fuller, for bringing forward this important discussion, and I welcome back the noble Lord, Lord Roborough, after a brief interregnum.

To repeat what the noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh, has said, our rural economy contributes over £240 billion annually and encompasses most of our...

Lords motion to take note of the Government's record on the rural economy. Agreed to on question.

Lords motion to take note of the Government's record on the rural economy. Agreed to on question.

My Lords, I spent yesterday standing in a field in that new spiritual home of British agriculture, Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire, for the cereals trade show. Nearly 20,000 farmers, growers, advisers, machinery dealers, drone flyers and, yes—by way of declaration of interest—fertiliser suppliers such as myself, huddled under umbrellas,...

My Lords, I spent yesterday standing in a field in that new spiritual home of British agriculture, Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire, for the cereals trade show. Nearly 20,000 farmers, growers, advisers, machinery dealers, drone flyers and, yes—by way of declaration of interest—fertiliser suppliers such as myself, huddled under umbrellas,...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Fuller, for initiating this debate, but he would not expect me to agree with him on every point he has made. I remind the noble Lord that it was years of austerity that helped to undermine the money going to...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Fuller, for initiating this debate, but he would not expect me to agree with him on every point he has made. I remind the noble Lord that it was years of austerity that helped to undermine the money going to...

My Lords, it is a great honour to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Royall. I am a retired member of a farming family from Somerset producing food and milk with lettings to domestic and commercial tenants. The first thing to say about the rural economy is that it is not...

My Lords, it is a great honour to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Royall. I am a retired member of a farming family from Somerset producing food and milk with lettings to domestic and commercial tenants. The first thing to say about the rural economy is that it is not...

My Lords, it is great to see my noble friend Lord Roborough back in his place just in time for this important debate. I congratulate my noble friend Lord Fuller on securing it. There is no doubt that the rural economy, just like most of the UK, is struggling. Unfortunately,...

My Lords, it is great to see my noble friend Lord Roborough back in his place just in time for this important debate. I congratulate my noble friend Lord Fuller on securing it. There is no doubt that the rural economy, just like most of the UK, is struggling. Unfortunately,...

My Lords, I am delighted to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Coffey. I join her in saying how nice it is to be sitting just behind the noble Lord, Lord Roborough, whose return to the House is, I am sure, welcomed by everybody.

I have a great interest in the subject,...

My Lords, I am delighted to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Coffey. I join her in saying how nice it is to be sitting just behind the noble Lord, Lord Roborough, whose return to the House is, I am sure, welcomed by everybody.

I have a great interest in the subject,...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow my noble friend Lord Taylor of Holbeach, whose knowledge in this area, as we heard, is very considerable. I also declare my farming interests as set out in the register.

So often, Labour Governments present themselves as friends and champions of the...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow my noble friend Lord Taylor of Holbeach, whose knowledge in this area, as we heard, is very considerable. I also declare my farming interests as set out in the register.

So often, Labour Governments present themselves as friends and champions of the...

My Lords, I declare my interest as a farmer and the owner of a country estate.

When considering the rural economy—which, after all, consists mainly of people working hard for long hours with little reward, frequently for the good of others—we should remember that the English countryside

does not look like it...

My Lords, I declare my interest as a farmer and the owner of a country estate.

When considering the rural economy—which, after all, consists mainly of people working hard for long hours with little reward, frequently for the good of others—we should remember that the English countryside

does not look like it...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Fuller, for tabling this debate and declare an interest as a resident of that most rural of counties, Herefordshire.

Last Sunday, I was in my local village hall, on the banks of the River Wye, cooking and serving breakfast for up to 50...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Fuller, for tabling this debate and declare an interest as a resident of that most rural of counties, Herefordshire.

Last Sunday, I was in my local village hall, on the banks of the River Wye, cooking and serving breakfast for up to 50...

My Lords, I declare at the outset that I live in rural Devon and own a small farm.

This House has a great deal of experience and expertise in farming and rural affairs, as demonstrated in the debate. However, I lament the experience that has been lost with the departure of...

My Lords, I declare at the outset that I live in rural Devon and own a small farm.

This House has a great deal of experience and expertise in farming and rural affairs, as demonstrated in the debate. However, I lament the experience that has been lost with the departure of...

My Lords, I welcome my noble friends Lord Goschen and Lord Roborough back to their positions, and I congratulate my noble friend Lord Fuller on securing this debate, which I welcome very warmly.

What is a rural area? We know that rural areas in the UK generate over £250 billion annually...

My Lords, I welcome my noble friends Lord Goschen and Lord Roborough back to their positions, and I congratulate my noble friend Lord Fuller on securing this debate, which I welcome very warmly.

What is a rural area? We know that rural areas in the UK generate over £250 billion annually...

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Fuller for bringing this important debate to your Lordships’ House and to him and others for outlining the issues so comprehensively and eloquently. Before I begin, I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the register of interests as...

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Fuller for bringing this important debate to your Lordships’ House and to him and others for outlining the issues so comprehensively and eloquently. Before I begin, I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the register of interests as...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Fuller, for bringing this debate and to all noble Lords who have contributed to it. I certainly want to add to the chorus of cheers for the noble Lord, Lord Roborough, who is back in his place—asking way too many...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Fuller, for bringing this debate and to all noble Lords who have contributed to it. I certainly want to add to the chorus of cheers for the noble Lord, Lord Roborough, who is back in his place—asking way too many...

My Lords, it has been an interesting debate and I am grateful to all noble Lords who have contributed. It was a good job that the speaking allocation was increased by 25%, because so many noble Lords had so much to say. It was a pleasure to see my noble...

My Lords, it has been an interesting debate and I am grateful to all noble Lords who have contributed. It was a good job that the speaking allocation was increased by 25%, because so many noble Lords had so much to say. It was a pleasure to see my noble...

This POSTnote summarises the challenges and options for reducing nutrient pollution in river catchments currently subject to 'nutrient neutrality' planning advice

This POSTnote summarises the challenges and options for reducing nutrient pollution in river catchments currently subject to 'nutrient neutrality' planning advice

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to hold (a) highway businesses, (b) agriculture businesses and (c) other non-water sector polluters accountable for water pollution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to hold (a) highway businesses, (b) agriculture businesses and (c) other non-water sector polluters accountable for water pollution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with farming communities on the potential impact of rural road infrastructure on farming operations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with farming communities on the potential impact of rural road infrastructure on farming operations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the land use strategy will include policies on managing (a) farm pastures, (b) road verges, (c) urban parks and (d) other grasslands.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the land use strategy will include policies on managing (a) farm pastures, (b) road verges, (c) urban parks and (d) other grasslands.