Found: The expertise and deep knowledge of the topic was demonstrated during the passing of the Agriculture Bill

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what impact assessment they made before removing the Basic Payment Scheme.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Direct Payments under the Basic Payment Scheme in England were replaced with delinked payments at the beginning of 2024. Analysis of the impacts of removing Direct Payments (attached) was included in Defra’s 2019 farming evidence compendium and the 2020 Agriculture Bill Impact Assessment (attached).

Found: unfenced and unworkable and depending on what the government is willing to support under the new Agriculture Bill

Found: Agriculture Bill Stage 2 – Colin proposing amendment re including animal welfare as an objective.

Found: The responses to the consultation on the Agriculture Bill of August 2022 were fully supportive of support

Found: )(b)]; [Redacted - Section 38(1)(b)] (DLSSSG) [Redacted - Section 38(1)(b)] Subject: RE: UK Agriculture Bill

Found: It also sets out the Framework diagrams which were first published as part of the Agriculture Bill

Found: responses emphasised the need to align the actions on agricultural support payments with the Agriculture Bill

Found: Proposals for a new Agriculture Bill £13,267.47 Yes – 10(4)(a) information not held Costs relating

Found: Proposals for a new Agriculture Bill. 37. Scottish Biodiversity Strategy 2022. 38.

Found: Other pieces of legislation, including the Agriculture Bill, will lay the groundwork for increased action

Found: and to be tied closely to the future payment support structure being rolled out through the Agriculture Bill

Found: gov.scot (www.gov.scot) 5 Delivering our vision for Scottish agriculture - proposals for a new Agriculture Bill

Found: www.gov.scot) • Small landholdings modernisation: consultation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) • Agriculture Bill

Question

To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it (a) monitors and (b) recognises the work carried out by (i) farmers, (ii) crofters and (iii) other land managers to undertake measures to reduce their carbon output.

Answered by Fairlie, Jim - Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity

We report emissions from across the economy on an annual basis in the Section A. Introduction to Greenhouse Gases - Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics 2022 - gov.scot. The contribution of farmers, crofters and land managers to reduce emissions and sequester carbon are reflected in the statistics for agriculture and land use, land use change and forestry.

We also complete annual statutory monitoring of the Climate Change Plan update (CCPu) Climate change monitoring report 2023 - gov.scot which outlines progress against our policies and proposals for Scottish agriculture and land use, land use change and forestry sectors contributions to our climate targets.

Our Vision for Agriculture makes clear Scotland will have a robust and coherent framework to underpin our future agricultural support regime from 2025 onwards, that delivers climate mitigation and adaptation, nature restoration and high-quality food production. I fully recognise that many farmers, crofters and land managers undertake low carbon farming practices. We provide financial support as well as guidance and advice for farmers, crofters and land managers to help reduce their emissions through initiatives like the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme and the Farm Advisory Service.

We will continue to support farmers and crofters on their sustainability journey. Importantly, we will maintain direct payments to support active farming and food production while introducing conditions from 2025 aimed at outcomes for biodiversity gain and climate mitigation and adaption. From 2026 powers from the new Agriculture Bill will be used to launch the new Enhanced Payment.