Theresa Villiers: Speech to Conservative Party Conference 2019
(Check against
delivery)
It’s great to be back on the conference platform once again.
My voice may be a little hoarse …but I’m ready to seize the
once-in-lifetime opportunity brought by getting Brexit done…
…an opportunity that no Environment Secretary has had for decades.
For over 40 years, the vast majority of the work of Defra, and its
predecessors, involved rubber-stamping and implementing decisions made in
Brussels.
All that is going to change.
We have the chance to take back control … control of our rules on
farming … on animal welfare …. on the environment … and on fisheries.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, getting Brexit done means we’ll become an
independent coastal state with control of our own fishing waters …
… and I’m determined that will mean a better deal for our fishing
communities.
They felt that their interests were sacrificed in the negotiations to
join the EU …they’ve had a raw deal from the CFP ever since …and this
Conservative Government must put that
right.
And we must release our farmers from the rigidity and bureaucracy of the
Common Agricultural Policy.
Based on public money for public goods, our new
support system will reward farmers for environmental stewardship… and help them
become more productive, more sustainable and more successful.
We should be proud that our farmers produce some of the highest quality
food in the world …to some of the highest standards …and we will not water down those standards in
future trade negotiations.
Instead we’re raising standards
of animal welfare.
…on banning the sale of primates as pets…
…and on ending the live export of animals for
slaughter.
A Conservative Government tried to stop live exports back in the 80s… but
the ECJ wouldn’t let us.
I’ve campaigned against this trade for 20 years …it’s the source of
grave public concern …and getting Brexit done means we’ll finally have the opportunity
to bring it to an end.
On the environment, we’re at a cross roads.
We’ll have no chance of averting catastrophic climate change if we don’t
reverse the worrying decline of wildlife habitats and nature.
Conservation and biodiversity …and addressing the climate crisis… are
two sides of the same coin.
Both are crucial for humanity’s future stability, prosperity and quality of
life.
We need to act now to
reverse the tragic loss of biodiversity at home and around the world.
This was the powerful message our Prime Minister gave at the G7.
And at the UN last week he made a historic commitment to double our
funding to £11.6 billion, to help developing countries protect nature and climate.
This will safeguard vast areas of wildlife habitats and conserve them
for future generations.
And the landmark Environment Bill I’ll present to Parliament will push
that work forward …including creation of a powerful new independent environmental
watchdog.
We’re pushing the water companies to do more to combat pollution …so our
rivers and waterways are cleaner.
We’ve set ourselves demanding targets for cleaning up air quality …so
children growing up today can live longer and healthier lives.
And this week we’ve pledged up to a billion more to reduce harmful
emissions from transport.
I’m delighted to announce that we’ll press ahead with creating extensive
new forests in Northumberland …following on from our pioneering work on the
Northern Forest.
In the years to come, the lasting legacy of this Government will include
millions of trees to enhance our landscapes …improve our quality of life …and
protect our climate for future generations.
And we are resolute in our determination to tackle plastics pollution.
Who could fail to be moved by what we’ve seen on our TV screens of birds
and marine life choked by plastic?
We will not stand by
and let the tragedy of plastics pollution of our oceans continue.
We’ve introduced world-leading measures on microbeads …and our plastic bag charge has seen bag use plummet by 90%
since it was introduced.
Working with overseas territories, we’re on track to protect over 4 million square kilometres of the
world’s oceans by the end of next year.
And we’re building an international coalition to enable us to go even further
and faster.
No other nation on the planet is doing more to address what is a
defining issue of our time.
Historians will judge us on whether we succeed or fail …and we will not
be found wanting.
The Conservative Party has a long and distinguished tradition of leading
on the conservation of our natural environment.
It was a Conservative Government which introduced the 1957 Clean Air
Act.
It was Mrs Thatcher who was the first leader on the global stage to warn
seriously of the dangers of climate change.
And it was this Conservative Government which made the historic
commitment to becoming a net zero carbon economy.
As the grandfather of Conservative thinking, Edmund Burke, put it: we
are “temporary possessors or life
renters” of this world…
…and we have a moral obligation not to squander our natural inheritance,
lest we “leave to those who come
after …a ruin instead of a habitation”.
Children and young people across the nation are demanding change and we
are determined to live up to the challenge they are setting us.
This wonderful country led the world in the industrial revolution.
Now …at this cross roads …we can lead once again in a new green economic
revolution…
…and we can put our country on track to a brighter, greener, better
future.
ENDS