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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