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1678451

	registered interest
	date	18/12/2023
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress his Department has made towards developing a new regulatory regime to be implemented once cross-compliance ends in 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Toby Perkins
	uin	7314
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2024 answer text <p>Defra has been working to ensure we deliver fair, effective regulation of farming and maintain our important environmental and animal health standards. All Defra group regulators have been involved in creating a better shared regulatory approach. Recent improvements include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>publication of a <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fguidance%2Frules-for-farmers-and-land-managers&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C2358b902182641582bbe08dc013689e2%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638386580941387919%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=VmY5%2BCnhR0reaiR7f4a7tti5vJi6ObK0vHVlme6NSNA%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">single navigation page</a> for rules for farmers on GOV.UK, developed with farmers, making it easier to find out what rules apply</li><li>increasing the advice offered by the Farming Advice Service so we can reach more farmers.</li><li>expanding the regulatory resource for the Environment Agency with a test and learn approach on how we best enable compliance.</li><li>opening Round 2 of our slurry infrastructure grant, as part of our commitment to spend over £200m on infrastructure and equipment grants to help to help livestock farmers in England tackle pollution from slurry.</li><li>consulting on how we can best protect hedgerows as we phase out farm subsidies and cross compliance rules.</li></ul><p> </p><p>As part of the Shared Regulatory Approach, we have worked with:</p><p> </p><ul><li>the Environment Agency in how it supports farmers to undertake farming activities in a way that minimises risk to environmental outcomes</li><li>Natural England in how it helps farmers protect and enhance Protected Sites and biodiversity</li><li>the Rural Payments Agency and the Animal and Plant Health Agency in how they help farmers to protect the health of our plants and animals and to maintain biosecurity</li><li>the Forestry Commission in how it helps farmers protect and enhance our trees and woodlands.</li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 08/01/2024 14:59:34 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

1678727

	registered interest
	date	18/12/2023
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to permitting farmers transitioning from Basic Payments to Delinked Payments to discount one or more of the years in the reference period as a result of (1) events outside their control, or (2) a mistake; and whether they intend to review and amend the Agriculture (Delinked Payments and Consequential Provisions) (England) Regulations 2023 in this regard.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham
	uin	HL1305
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/01/2024 answer text <p>Delinked payments will be based on the average Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payment made to the farmer during the 2020 to 2022 reference period. The Government considers that using an average over three years is fair as any anomalies will be evened out. This takes account of responses to our 2021 consultation on delinked payments.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, where a farmer suffered exceptional circumstances which affected their ability to meet the BPS rules in the reference period, they were able to apply at the time under the BPS force majeure rules. In such cases, the Rural Payments Agency may not have applied a reduction to the BPS payment for non-compliance with the rules.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 04/01/2024 15:30:03 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
	tabling member	4940 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham

1672732

	registered interest
	date	23/11/2023
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the guidance on cross compliance updated on 14 February 2023, which (a) cross compliance standards and (b) rules for participants in the Basic Payments Scheme or Countryside Stewardship will cease to have effect in 2024 and are not otherwise provided for in their entirety in English law as of 23 November 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	3459
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2023 answer text <p>Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) cross compliance rules 1, 4, 5 and 7a are not fully replicated in existing domestic legislation as follows.</p><p> </p><p>GAEC 1, which requires the maintenance of green cover, non-cultivation of land and spraying of pesticides within two metres of a water course. Domestic legislation, the Farming Rules for Water, however, provides rules preventing the application of manure and fertiliser close to a water course. It also prescribes that farmers must take all reasonable precautions to prevent pollution from cultivation practices, such as spraying pesticides. The use of pesticides is also set out in the Code of Practice for using Plant Protection Products.</p><p> </p><p>GAEC 4 and GAEC 5, which require a minimum soil cover and measures to minimise soil erosion. Again, the Farming Rules for Water sets out generalised soil cover and erosion measures where it may prevent agricultural diffuse pollution. There is no reference to mitigation of wind erosion in the Farming Rules for Water. GAEC rules 4 and 5 are not covered elsewhere in domestic legislation.</p><p> </p><p>GAEC 7a, which requires the maintenance of green cover within two metres of the centre of a hedge and the prohibition of cutting a hedge between 1 March and 31 August. Also, the removal of stone walls, earth and stone banks. Defra has recently consulted on new legislation to replace the cross compliance hedgerow protections. As set out in January 2023 Defra plans to pay, as part of Environmental Land Management schemes, for new actions to maintain drystone walls, stone and earth banks in good condition.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 04/12/2023 16:41:19 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1668061

	registered interest
	date	07/11/2023
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution that the (1) Sustainable Farming Incentive, (2) Countryside Stewardship, and (3) Landscape Recovery schemes will make to delivering (a) the fifth carbon budget, and (b) the objectives of the Government's Environmental Improvement Plan.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville
	uin	HL8
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2023 answer text <p>In the Net Zero Growth Plan (published 30 March 2023) and the Environmental Improvement Plan (published 31 January 2023) the Government has set out how its environment land management schemes will contribute to the reduction in carbon emissions and delivering against the ambitious environmental goals.</p><p> </p><p>The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery are key interventions through which the government will support farmers and land managers to deliver on ambitions. A detailed programme of monitoring and modelling supports the design of these interventions and their respective contributions to a range of objectives for the environment and climate.</p><p> </p><p>The SFI will reduce the requirement for fertilisers by incentivising herbal lays or legume mixes. Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery are anticipated to provide large carbon sequestration opportunities through tree planting, peatland restoration and agroforestry as well as continuing to offer capital grants that improve slurry storage all of which will deliver for the fifth carbon budget.</p><p> </p><p>The SFI, Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery are designed to support delivering the goals within the Environmental Improvement Plan. As set out in March 2023, this will include contributions to thriving plants and wildlife, clean air, clean and plentiful water, using resources from nature sustainably, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and enhancing beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural environment.</p><p> </p><p>As the environment land management schemes continue to be implemented the Government is undertaking ongoing research and analysis to quantify and refine the impacts these interventions are making and how they are delivering against the goals of the Environment Improvement Plan.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 14/11/2023 11:46:07 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	4285 label Biography information for Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville

1668062

	registered interest
	date	07/11/2023
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the impact of the (1) Sustainable Farming Incentive, (2) Countryside Stewardship, and (3) Landscape Recovery schemes on (a) reductions in carbon emissions, (b) increased species abundance, and (c) the delivery of their commitment to protect 30 per cent of land and sea for nature by 2030.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville
	uin	HL9
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2023 answer text <p>In the Environmental Improvement Plan (published 31 January 2023) and the Net Zero Growth Plan (published 30 March 2023) the Government has set out how its environment land management schemes will contribute to environmental targets and reducing carbon emissions.</p><p> </p><p>The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery are key interventions through which the Government will support farmers and land managers to deliver for the environment and to reduce carbon emissions. A detailed programme of monitoring and modelling supports the design of these interventions and their respective contributions to a range of objectives.</p><p> </p><p>It is estimated that across the SFI, Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery there will be significant contribution to Defra’s effort share to reduce carbon emissions through agricultural decarbonisation, tree planting, peatland restoration and other on farm changes. These interventions will also support the commitment to create or restore 500,000ha of habitat outside of protected areas to improve species abundance and halt species decline, this includes a commitment to support bespoke species recovery in key sites. Additionally, the interventions will ensure land is delivering for nature and new habitat created will be of sufficient quality to be protected, we have committed to ensuring that sites of special scientific interest are brought up to or remain in favourable condition.</p><p> </p><p>As the environment land management schemes continue to be implemented the Government is undertaking ongoing research and analysis to quantify and refine the impacts these interventions are making.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 14/11/2023 11:44:23 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	4285 label Biography information for Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville

1659854

	registered interest
	date	11/09/2023
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to pause the phasing out of existing farm payments until Sustainable Farming Incentive payments are in place.
	tabling member printed	Baroness McIntosh of Pickering
	uin	HL10045
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2023 answer text <p>The Government has no plans to pause the phasing out of Basic Payment Scheme payments.</p><p> </p><p>Our priority is to roll out Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) in a way that ensures the service works as straightforwardly as possible for all our customers and aligns with the closing date for Countryside Stewardship.</p><p> </p><p>The SFI 2023 scheme has been expanded and made more flexible in response to farmers’ feedback. There are 23 actions on offer under the new and improved 2023 scheme, including on soil health, moorland, hedgerows, integrated pest management, farmland wildlife, buffer strips, and low input grassland.</p><p> </p><p>The scheme will open for applications from 18 September. Before then farmers can contact the Rural Payments Agency to join the thousands of farm businesses that have already expressed their interest in applying.</p><p> </p><p>Recently, we have run an extensive communications and engagement programme with farmers and farming organisations, including through webinars and our presence at agricultural shows. This has enabled us to promote the options available to farmers and feedback is of increased awareness and interest in what is on offer.</p><p> </p><p>Information on the scheme is available in one handbook and on 10 August we published voluntary ‘How to Guidance’ which farmers can follow if helpful for them. We know that applicants to date have welcomed the simple, automated online application process which again will support uptake in the coming months.</p><p> </p><p>We know the importance of getting agreements and payments out as quickly as possible, which is why we’ll be working to get as many people as possible on board as quickly as possible after 18 September. What is more, in recognition of the challenges faced with inflation and rising input costs, the Government has confirmed farmers will receive a payment in the first month of their SFI 2023 agreement to help with cashflow.</p><p> </p><p>We remain committed to our target of 70% of farms and farmland being in schemes by 2028.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon grouped question UIN HL10044 question first answered 18/09/2023 12:24:31 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

1653539

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2023
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding through the Basic Payment Scheme has reduced in each year since 2020; and by how much she plans to reduce payments in each of the next three years.
	tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
	tabling member printed	Tim Farron
	uin	194405
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2023 answer text <p>Defra reports expenditure under agricultural support schemes by financial year rather than calendar year.</p><p> </p><p>Applying reductions to Direct Payments frees up money to be spent on financial assistance under our other schemes for farmers and land managers. As set out in our Future Farming and Countryside Programme annual report, published in October 2022, we spent £1.654 billion on Direct Payments in financial year 2021 to 2022. That was part of a total spend of £2.294 billion on existing farming schemes and our new financial assistance schemes, as set out in that report.</p><p> </p><p>Information about spend on Direct Payments, and financial assistance under our other schemes, for later financial years will be included in future annual reports.</p><p> </p><p>The reductions that we plan to apply to Direct Payments up to, and including, the 2024 scheme year were set out in our Agricultural Transition Plan in November 2020. The Government intends to continue to make gradual reductions in Direct Payments across the rest of the transition until the last year of Direct Payments in 2027.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 24/07/2023 14:30:43 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1588356

	registered interest
	date	22/02/2023
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding redirected from the Basic Payment Scheme to Agricultural Transition Plan schemes has been disbursed to farmers.
	tabling member constituency	Cambridge
	tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
	uin	150508
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2023 answer text <p>The farming budget in England is an average £2.4bn per year to 2024/25. We are now two years into our 7-year transition period where we are phasing out farm subsidies and instead investing the money in farming and the environment. The budget available for the sector is the same. We are committed to being transparent about the budget and how it is spent. We included in the Agriculture Act a requirement for government to publish an annual report about the budget, and we did this for the first time in 2022. <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Ffuture-farming-and-countryside-programme-annual-report-2021-to-2022%2Ffuture-farming-and-countryside-programme-annual-report-2021-to-2022-html-version&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C8f4f579fcae243a3991e08db166346ee%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638128387860364244%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=KahJwzDAfOQu0CsOldaOZ4ZrftxImx3xySjKOhEm9RU%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Future Farming and Countryside Programme annual report, 2021 to 2022 (HTML version) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>That report set out that during 2021/22 a total of £2.294bn was spent, including £2.274bn being paid to farmers and land managers. £20m was spent on Technical Assistance to support the design, implementation and delivery of schemes within the programme, including staff and contractors, representing less than 1% of the total spend. That amount aligns with the levels spent under CAP.</p><p> </p><p>There is not a like for like comparison of the reductions applied to Direct Payments being invested in new schemes in a given year since the original composition of the £2.4bn included RDPE schemes as well as Direct Payments and the budget is an average across this Parliament.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer grouped question UIN 150509 question first answered 27/02/2023 13:40:42 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

1588358

	registered interest
	date	22/02/2023
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding redirected from the Basic Payment Scheme to new schemes as part of the Government’s Agricultural Transition Plan has been spent on additional staff and contractors for her Department.
	tabling member constituency	Cambridge
	tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
	uin	150509
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2023 answer text <p>The farming budget in England is an average £2.4bn per year to 2024/25. We are now two years into our 7-year transition period where we are phasing out farm subsidies and instead investing the money in farming and the environment. The budget available for the sector is the same. We are committed to being transparent about the budget and how it is spent. We included in the Agriculture Act a requirement for government to publish an annual report about the budget, and we did this for the first time in 2022. <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Ffuture-farming-and-countryside-programme-annual-report-2021-to-2022%2Ffuture-farming-and-countryside-programme-annual-report-2021-to-2022-html-version&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C8f4f579fcae243a3991e08db166346ee%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638128387860364244%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=KahJwzDAfOQu0CsOldaOZ4ZrftxImx3xySjKOhEm9RU%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Future Farming and Countryside Programme annual report, 2021 to 2022 (HTML version) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>That report set out that during 2021/22 a total of £2.294bn was spent, including £2.274bn being paid to farmers and land managers. £20m was spent on Technical Assistance to support the design, implementation and delivery of schemes within the programme, including staff and contractors, representing less than 1% of the total spend. That amount aligns with the levels spent under CAP.</p><p> </p><p>There is not a like for like comparison of the reductions applied to Direct Payments being invested in new schemes in a given year since the original composition of the £2.4bn included RDPE schemes as well as Direct Payments and the budget is an average across this Parliament.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer grouped question UIN 150508 question first answered 27/02/2023 13:40:42 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

1567568

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2023
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding was released from the Basic Payment Scheme following the reduction of direct payments to farmers in England in the (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23 financial year.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	125434
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/01/2023 answer text <p>Applying reductions to Direct Payments frees up money to be spent on financial assistance under our other schemes for farmers and land managers. As set out in our Future Farming and Countryside Programme annual report, published in October 2022, we spent £1.654 billion on Direct Payments in financial year 2021 to 2022. That was part of a total spend of £2.294 billion on existing farming schemes and our new financial assistance schemes, as set out in that report.</p><p>Information about spend on Direct Payments and financial assistance under our other schemes for financial year 2022 to 2023 will be included in an annual report to be published later this year.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 24/01/2023 15:01:05 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts