Lord Howard of Rising (Con)

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 does by accident. It does so because of the endeavours of those who live and work there. For example, who takes care of the waste that costs the economy £1 billion a year? It is the farmers who pick up the large-scale dumping—and there is plenty of it. It is the public who organise litter picks to collect the stream of discarded tins and fast-food wrappers. The Government missed the opportunity to put in the Crime and Policing Act powers for the police to seize the vehicles of litter louts, rather than waiting for local authorities to act. If you want to stop dumping, there needs to be a meaningful deterrent. If people thought that discarding a McDonald’s wrapper would cost them their car, they would think again. However small their enterprises, farmers and landowners trim hedges, examine trees for potential danger, clear ditches, remove obstacles from footpaths and perform many other unsung acts of maintenance. When discussing the rural economy, your Lordships should bear in mind that the headline statement of income and expenditure, miserable as it is, omits the considerable burdens borne by those living and working in the countryside. As my noble friend Lord Fuller pointed out, the Government make life harder for the rural economy. The average rural post office faces a fourfold increase in business rates compared with 2023-24. More and more pubs are shouting “Last orders!”: 161 pubs closed in the first three months of this year. Why add further unhappiness by attacking country sports? Banning trail-hunting is pointless and unnecessary. It does no harm but provides a welcome respite from the hard work and long hours associated with most countryside activities, and it contributes greatly to the rural economy. The Church of England is responsible for the parishes, which are still a significant part, even now, of local communities. The consolidation of parishes means that there are fewer parish priests. Why does the Church of England not use some of its enormous wealth to maintain more parish priests and pay them better, rather than expanding bureaucracy and wasting money on trendy causes? The fundamental truth of the countryside is that the majority of people involved in it are there as much for the love of the countryside as for making a living; generally speaking, there are no great riches in the countryside but it is a rewarding way of life. It would be even more so if government interference and impediment could be reduced. Today’s farmers spend as much time looking at spreadsheets, filling in forms and complying with directives—many of which are pointless—as they do farming. It is understandable that the country should maintain the ability to feed itself, and that might involve subsidies, but perhaps applying for them could be made a little less arduous.