Speeches by Dyke.

“I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael) on securing this important debate and on his powerful speech. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for finding the time for today’s debate. The UK’s fishing industry is central to our national economy. It contributes more than £1…”

“Let me return briefly to Somerset—this is relevant, Madam Deputy Speaker. The European eel was once a key part of the county’s identity. It was so abundant that it even served as the local currency, and it was the most economically significant part of Somerset’s fishing sector. The presence of this keystone species is …”

“I apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker. The impact on coastal communities is even more severe and economically damaging. The House will know that fishing waters in Cornwall, including in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for St Ives (Andrew George), have been greatly affected by pollution, with many forced to cl…”

“Somerset underwent local government reorganisation during the last Parliament, with an independent report citing that the Conservative administration’s business case was marked by poor decision making, while its reckless decision to freeze council tax for six years has seen over £330 million in lost revenue. What steps…”

“I congratulate the hon. Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Sam Carling) on securing this important debate, and I thank the Backbench Business Committee for finding time for the debate to proceed. The UK agricultural sector experienced an enormous shift on leaving the European Union. There was simply no plan in place…”

“Although some proposals in this White Paper are welcome, it does not go far enough to guarantee the promised fundamental reforms. Record sewage spills of over 45,000 hours were recorded in Glastonbury and Somerton last year. The public are left in the dark as the Government refuse to record the true scale of the volume…”

“I thank the hon. Member for securing this important debate. Somerset is more often known for its cider production, but I have a brilliant, multi-award winning winemaker, Smith & Evans, based in Aller on the Somerset levels. As he rightly points out, sales of UK wine are increasing, but there are difficulties, such …”

“On sectors, I was really pleased to see the sector missions in the review, particularly the horticulture strategy, which is fantastic to see. I have already spoken to many people who are so pleased to see that. However, there is an absence of focus on the organic sector. That sector has doubled since 2010. It is growin…”

“Finally, we have spoken about the national herd and national yield, in order to be able to benchmark properly. What are your thoughts on establishing one system for a carbon audit so that we have that benchmark on carbon, and then standardising that carbon market?”

“Thank you. Lastly, climate change is already one of the biggest factors undermining profitability in farming. It is not going to go away; it is going to get worse. There is little or no mention in the report of the need to move away from conventional farming practices, which, as we know, exacerbate some elements of thi…”

“The EU has an average of 10% land in organic production, and a target of 25%. Scotland has committed to doubling land area and Ireland has set a target of increasing coverage from 1.6% in 2020 to 10% in 2030. That shows that it can be done. To bring the price point down, we must be able to develop a road map to encoura…”

“On that basis, do you think the single regulator is preferable?”

“Do you think it will be an effective system? If so, how effective do you think it will be? Thinking about the voices of farmers, you have already said that some simply will not go because they are scared of the implications of making a complaint. There is also the number of small farmers’ voices being drowned out by th…”

“We have already said that farmers and growers need fair dealings within the supply chain to survive and thrive. Food resilience should be recognised as a public good. The review recognises the power imbalance between producers and the rest of the supply chain. The resilience of the food system depends on securing criti…”

“Good morning, Minette. Thank you very much. Going a bit further on dairy, an awful lot of butter and cheese has come through from Australia and America over the last few months. That has obviously pushed the price down significantly, because there is an oversupply now, and many dairy farmers are selling for way less th…”

“It is an honour to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Pritchard. I thank the Petitions Committee for bringing this debate forward and the combined 671 petitioners from Glastonbury and Somerton. Firework displays have long lit up the skies in celebrations throughout the year, with illuminations capturing the imaginations o…”

“Pressures on schools to convert to academy trusts are considerable and widespread, but academising at all costs is not always in everybody’s interests. Some parents in Glastonbury and Somerton have told me that they are concerned that where decisions are taken across a number of schools, performance could diminish as a…”

“My hon. Friend talked about the amazing firework displays that we have across the country, but there are some fantastic alternatives to fireworks, such as demonstrations using drones and light shows. Does she agree that we should implement a noise limit on fireworks of below 90 dB for those that want to use noise firew…”

“I recently met Abbas and Templecombe parish councillors to discuss their exciting plans to add a 400-metre running track, a multi-use games area and an outdoor adult gym to the local recreation ground. Given that physical inactivity costs the UK over £7 billion a year, such improvements are welcome, particularly in rur…”

“Dairy farmers across Glastonbury and Somerton are competing against imports of cheaper cheese from New Zealand and butter from the USA, but there is no obligation for those products to be labelled with a point of origin. The result is a dramatic collapse in milk prices at the farm gate, and many farmers are now produci…”