Member

I am aware of the hour but if I may, I will briefly respond to some questions asked by Members on both sides of the House. I thank Labour Members, including the Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones), and my hon. Friends the Members for North Northumberland (David Smith), for Ribble Valley (Maya Ellis), for Morecambe and Lunesdale (Lizzi Collinge) and for Penrith and Solway (Markus Campbell-Savours). It was helpful to hear from them about the positivity with which the changes announced late last year have been received, as a result of this Government’s listening and engagement, and about the renewed focus that can now be placed on the broader issues affecting the farming community—be they profitability, prices or the fiscal support that the Government will provide. We will spend our budgets in full rather than underspending by hundreds of millions, as the previous Government did. I thank Members who engaged with me on that topic in the weeks after I was appointed to this role on 1 September, particularly my hon. Friend the Member for North Northumberland, whose engagement I really appreciated.