UK Parliament / Open data

Trade Bill

Proceeding contribution from Baroness Boycott (Crossbench) in the House of Lords on Wednesday, 6 January 2021. It occurred during Debate on bills on Trade Bill.

First, I thank the Minister and the people who spoke in the debate, particularly the noble Baroness, Lady Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville, who made the point that good labelling gives us confidence in the Government, which we all really need right now. I also thank the noble Lord, Lord Purvis of Tweed, who made the point that we now take these things for granted and that we should never do so with something like this: it is a privilege to have good labelling, and it is one that we should hold on to. I will not press this to a Division, but I wholly support the noble Lord, Lord Grantchester, in his desire to push Amendment 31A to one. I thank the Minister for his words and attempted reassurance, but I am afraid that it has not worked for me at all.

6.30 pm

I cannot understand why we are in this position on this critical issue of human health. At the end of the day, we farm in order to eat and we eat in order to live and yet, once again, after all these years, food is being kicked around like a football with nowhere to live. We still do not know where it will live. The Minister said just now that we are waiting on advice as to which body will give this advice. How will the advice be received? Will it have power, and will we be able to trust it? If the Government are serious about the issue of public health—human health—and I believe that everyone is, it absolutely defies belief as to why it cannot be put at the heart of the Bill. It was moved out of agriculture directly and given, as we understood it, to this new body, the TAC. Now we are told that it cannot be there. It is a homeless fellow right now, wandering around the walls of Westminster with nowhere to live.

I support this amendment wholly and think that it is extremely important, because this is risky stuff. The other side of it is that, if we get this right, it benefits our health and the environment, and, quite honestly, it benefits us all. I am confused, but I certainly know where I will vote in the next few minutes.

About this proceeding contribution

Reference

809 c232 

Session

2019-21

Chamber / Committee

House of Lords chamber

Legislation

Trade Bill 2019-21
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