The Government recognises the importance of sugar beet farmers and their vital contribution to UK sugar production. We are committed to promoting fairness across the food supply chain, with risk and reward being properly shared.<\/p>
<\/p>
We know that control of aphids and yellow virus, along with weather related problems - such as dry springs affecting crop establishment and wet conditions during the campaign harvests \u2013 can create issues for beet growers.<\/p>
<\/p>
Defra\u2019s reach and engagement with the agri-food sector is extensive and well-established. This includes regular contact with producers and processors in the UK sugar industry which ensures a strong two-way dialogue at both a ministerial and official level.<\/p>
<\/p>
The UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group, launched in January 2021, also monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, and trade enabling it to provide forewarning of any atypical market movements.<\/p>
<\/p>
These allow Government to collect both data and industry intelligence on the agricultural sectors, including sugar, to understand any challenges being faced. We do not consider there is a case for support at this time but will keep the situation under review.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4055", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sherwood"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Spencer"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-11-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-11-15T16:58:25.037Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sugar Beet"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support sugar beet growers.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/350", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir John Hayes"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Holland and The Deepings"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sir John Hayes"} ], "uin" : "1290"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1462506", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Defence"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1462506/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The longest, shortest and average period of time taken to make repairs to a Service Family Accommodation between November 2021 and March 2022 are shown below:<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
Longest 234 days (in respect to repairing a damaged fence)<\/p>
<\/p>
Shortest 21 minutes<\/p>
<\/p>
Average 15.9 days<\/p>
<\/p>
The Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) Accommodation contracts came into effect on 1 April 2022. In developing the new FDIS Accommodation contracts DIO collaborated closely with key stakeholders, including the Single Services and the Families Federations, to ensure that Service families\u2019 needs are fully considered and an improved \u2018lived experience\u2019 is provided.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4507", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Jeremy Quin"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Horsham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jeremy Quin"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-05-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-05-19T10:13:32.567Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "11"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-05-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Armed Forces: Housing"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) longest, (b) shortest and (c) average period of time taken was to make repairs to an armed forces accommodation property after a call out in the last period for which figures are available.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4612", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jamie Stone"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jamie Stone"} ], "uin" : "1290"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1314784", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1314784/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
In total, 182 Hitachi trains have been impacted by this issue. 122 of these trains have been procured via the Department\u2019s Intercity Express Programme contract with Agility Trains as the service provider, and the remaining 60 trains have been procured under conventional rolling stock leases. All 182 trains are maintained by Hitachi as the appointed manufacturer.<\/p>
Under the Intercity Express Programme contract, if Agility Trains is unable to offer the train for service on a given day, they are not paid and must pay to resolve the issue to ensure trains are made available.<\/p>
The agreements in place contain provisions that protect the taxpayer. I have been clear with the industry that I expect those who have the contractual performance and train availability obligations including Agility Trains, to fully compensate the taxpayer in this matter.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3977", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Heaton-Harris"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Daventry"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Heaton-Harris"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-05-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-05-19T14:50:15.38Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-05-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Railways: Standards"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, under the terms of the contracts between Hitachi, the Government and Train Operators, who is liable for the financial costs of the disruption resulting from the recent withdrawal of services after the discovery of cracks in electric and electro-diesel trains constructed by Hitachi Rail.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4000", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ian Mearns"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Gateshead"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ian Mearns"} ], "uin" : "1290"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1169489", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1169489/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is committed to improving local infrastructure and expects to announce details of the available funding shortly. Individual allocations of this funding will be subject to Ministerial decisions.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4020", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for George Freeman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mid Norfolk"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "George Freeman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-01-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-01-13T15:35:41.76Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Roads: Merseyside"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of new funding for road maintenance will be allocated to (a) Liverpool City Region and (b) Wirral council.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/491", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Angela Eagle"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wallasey"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ms Angela Eagle"} ], "uin" : "1290"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/732986", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/732986/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Seasonal Agricultural workers scheme was closed in 2013, on the advice of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).<\/p>
<\/p>
Defra has been monitoring the economic output of the horticultural industry and there has been an increase in output in real terms between 2014 and 2016 (latest available data) for both the UK and Scotland.<\/p>
<\/p>
According to Agriculture UK 2016[1], output of vegetables and horticultural products in the UK saw an increase of £128 million in real terms between 2014 and 2016. Output of fruit in the UK saw an increase of £68 million from 2014-2015 with a subsequent decrease of £34 million in 2016 in real terms.<\/p>
<\/p>
Output of the horticultural industry in Scotland increased between 2014 and 2015 by £25.1 million in total. These figures have been taken from the Scottish Government website.[2]<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>