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Lord Harris of Haringey (Lab)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 8 September 2026

Debate

El Niño

Contribution

My Lords, I refer to my interest in the register as chair of the National Preparedness Commission. I recall that I asked a very similar Question to my noble friend’s a couple of months ago. I am slightly disconcerted by the assumption that this will somehow not have an impact on food supplies, because directly and indirectly it will. The most likely outcome of the enhanced El Niño—the once-in-a-millennium event that we are now being told it may be—is that far more extreme storms will affect us. My noble friend the Minister has responded very much on behalf of Defra, but I wonder what other departments are doing to prepare the sectors that they are concerned about. How will they withstand and respond to what may be extremely severe weather conditions?

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