Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to HCWS1230, how her Department will define small farms for the purposes of reopening the Sustainable Farming Incentive; what assessment she has made of barriers to participation for small and family-run farms under previous schemes; and how her Department will measure whether access to support has improved.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will publish a precise definition of a small farm before the first application window opens in June. This is one of the details the Government will be testing with key stakeholders.
As confirmed at the Oxford Farming Conference, the Government will open two Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) application windows in 2026:
The Government will provide more detail on the new SFI offer ahead of publishing the full scheme details before the first application window opens in June.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to increase urban and peri-urban horticulture.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises that expanding urban and peri‑urban food growing can support communities by increasing access to fresh produce, improving local green spaces and contributing to public health and environmental outcomes.
The Environmental Improvement Plan, published in December, describes the actions we will take to restore nature, improve environmental quality, create a circular economy, protect environmental security and improve people’s access to nature.
Community‑led initiatives are available to support projects that create opportunities for people to grow food locally and sustainably in urban and peri-urban areas and will play an important part in supporting urban greening.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total annual payments made to businesses under the SFI for actions SAM1, NUM1, IPM1 and HRW1 (broken down by individual action) were at 1 October 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As of 1st October 2025, there were 32,405, Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements which included actions (C)SAM1, (C) NUM1, (C)HRW1 or (C)IPM1.
The number of agreements containing these actions and the value of these actions broken down by individual action are shown in the table below.
option code | Number of Agreements | Total Value of Action within Agreement (£) |
CHRW1 | 5,766 | 8,754,000 |
CIPM1 | 7,162 | 24,258,000 |
CNUM1 | 7,593 | 14,852,000 |
CSAM1 | 9,179 | 17,963,000 |
HRW1 | 10,191 | 21,709,000 |
IPM1 | 15,656 | 53,025,000 |
NUM1 | 16,583 | 32,435,000 |
SAM1 | 18,421 | 51,638,000 |
To Note: An Agreement can have multiple options so for example may have NUM1, SAM1 & IPM1 so may be counted multiple times under number of agreements in the table above.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as of 1st October 2025 how many SFI agreements included actions SAM1, NUM1, HRW1 and IPM1 broken down by individual action.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As of 1st October 2025, there were 32,405, Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements which included actions (C)SAM1, (C) NUM1, (C)HRW1 or (C)IPM1.
The number of agreements containing these actions and the value of these actions broken down by individual action are shown in the table below.
option code | Number of Agreements | Total Value of Action within Agreement (£) |
CHRW1 | 5,766 | 8,754,000 |
CIPM1 | 7,162 | 24,258,000 |
CNUM1 | 7,593 | 14,852,000 |
CSAM1 | 9,179 | 17,963,000 |
HRW1 | 10,191 | 21,709,000 |
IPM1 | 15,656 | 53,025,000 |
NUM1 | 16,583 | 32,435,000 |
SAM1 | 18,421 | 51,638,000 |
To Note: An Agreement can have multiple options so for example may have NUM1, SAM1 & IPM1 so may be counted multiple times under number of agreements in the table above.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of providing further funding for its planned National Biosecurity Centre to meet the required level of funding specified in the National Audit Office's Improving the UK’s science capability for managing animal diseases Report in 2022.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra received the funding it requested in the current Spending Review to 2029-30 for the next stage of the National Biosecurity Centre, Weybridge Programme. Programme delivery is on track and in line with Government Project Delivery Functional Standards. Further funding in future Spending Reviews will be requested to secure operational delivery of the new facility by 2034.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce statutory protection of the title “Registered Veterinary Nurse”.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the newly released consultation regarding reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, Defra is proposing statutory protection of the Veterinary Nurse title in line with Veterinary Surgeons.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to increase participation in the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In the newly released consultation regarding reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, Defra proposes to replace the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme with a mandatory licence for all veterinary and animal healthcare businesses. This will ensure they all meet the required standards, including the 30% of practices not currently engaged with the Practice Standards Scheme.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to bring forward legislation to prohibit the use of dogs in hunting activities, including trail hunting.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to enacting a ban on the activity of trail hunting in line with its manifesto commitment. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and Defra intends to consult on how to deliver a ban this year. We plan to introduce legislation to ban the activity of trail hunting when Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the agricultural sector on the potential impact of proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief on the number of farm estates in the UK.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government regularly and actively engages with representatives from the farming industry through regular meetings and discussions, ensuring we listen to their views, understand their concerns, and take their feedback into account.
At the November 2025 budget, the Chancellor announced that any unused allowance for the 100% rate of agricultural property relief and business property relief will be transferable between spouses and civil partners from 6 April 2026. The Government has taken this action after listening to feedback from stakeholders, who have called strongly for this change to the planned reforms to reduce complexity and remove an unfairness for widows/widowers.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will convene an expert group of industry representatives, animal welfare organisations and other stakeholders to advise on developing a method of production labelling scheme.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy, the department is committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, Defra will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and NGOs to explore how improved animal welfare food labelling could provide greater consumer transparency, support farmers and promote better animal welfare. The Government will set out next steps in due course.