Stopping the boats has been an ongoing challenge, but one that the Government is determined to rise to. Too many lives are being put at risk by callous criminal gangs who are profiting from vulnerable and desperate people. December saw the announcement of a plan to tackle this, including new agreements with France and Albania to stop illegal migration at source.
Earlier this week the Prime Minister gave an update on the steps taken to combat this, which have reduced small boat arrivals to the UK by 20 per cent since December, including a 90 per cent reduction in arrivals from Albania.
Importantly, the backlog in asylum claims has also been reduced by 20%, meaning that those in genuine need can have their cases heard and enabling those with legitimate claims to restart their lives with certainty in the UK.
Last week I spoke briefly about the role that the farmers play. Overall, our farmers produce 61 per cent of all the food the country needs, a figure which rises to 74 per cent when discounting products we are unable to grow in the UK. In short, most of the food you eat today will be homegrown by Britain’s hardworking farming community.
It was great to meet with the National Farmers Union to discuss the industry’s success and the opportunities that our self-sufficiency presents, such as a renewed focus on healthy, sustainable and affordable food.
With Friday having been National Fish & Chip Day, I spoke about the role that agriculture plays in our local economy and pointed out that many visiting the chippy this weekend will have enjoyed Fylde grown potatoes alongside their fish, a catch likely to have been landed in Lancashire.
The Prime Minister demonstrated his commitment to this vital industry, hosting the Government’s recent UK Farm to Fork Summit at Downing Street, during which he set out aims to cut red tape and drive innovation as well as to build on the sector’s export success, already worth £24 billion to the UK economy.
Tuesday evening saw the annual MacMillan Tug of War, a now well-established highlight in the Westminster calendar which has raised over £3 million for the charity in the 35 years since the first contest.
The highlight of the evening, as always, was the final battle which pitted the House of Commons against the House of Lords. In addition to the Parliamentary teams, several businesses also participated, and I was proud to attend with BAE Systems, whose line up featured five engineers from Warton flying the flag for Fylde as part of the team.