MPs will spend more time talking about food, farming, the environment and rural communities in parliament thanks to lobbying from a Devon MP.
Anthony Mangnall, Conservative MP for Totnes and South Devon, first raised this point in the House of Commons on 8 September, saying: “There are not really enough hours in the day to speak about fishing and farming.”
Mr Mangnall asked the Leader of the House, Penny Mordaunt, to give MPs more time to ask questions on rural affairs.
See also: Frustration as Defra puts off ELM payment details until the new year
Speaking in parliament on 1 December, Ms Mordaunt confirmed that the duration of Defra oral parliamentary questions would be extended to a full hour from 12 January next year.
Ms Mordaunt congratulated Mr Mangnall on campaigning for the change, saying: “I hope his farming community and others are pleased.”
Absolutely delighted that farming, fishing, the environment and rural affairs are being allocated more time in the House of Commons for MPs to raise issues and ask questions.
@NFUtweets @CPRE @CAupdates @CLAsouthwest @BASCnews pic.twitter.com/q9VMxp2XNk
— Anthony Mangnall MP (@AnthonyMangnal1) December 1, 2022
Mr Mangnall welcomed the move, saying the work of local farmers was “often overlooked and undervalued”.
“I am pleased the government has recognised the need to spend more time addressing issues relating to rural affairs,” he said.
“I look forward to spending more time in the chamber with Defra ministers and hope this will allow us to build on the progress that is already being made.”
The MP’s intervention comes at a critical time for the UK agricultural sector, which is facing its biggest periods of change in 60 years.
Ag transition
Defra is phasing out Basic Payments in England under the EU Common Agricultural Policy and replacing them with a new system of paying farmers public money to deliver public goods, such as environmental and welfare improvements.
The UK government has come under fire from farmers and farming unions for delays to its review of nature-friendly farming reforms under its fledgling Environment and Land Management (ELM) scheme.
Defra secretary Thérèse Coffey told the CLA conference in London last week that she was hoping to make some announcements soon on ELM.
But she stressed that this might not be until February, when the NFU conference takes place in Birmingham.
