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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the access tenant and family farmers have had to advice on applying for the Sustainable Farming Incentive and the Environmental Land Management farm schemes given the short time for which such schemes have been open.

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

We share guidance about Environmental Land Management (ELM) and other scheme offers on our farming blog and on the relevant scheme pages at gov.uk. Details of the expanded SFI 2024 offer were first shared at https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2024/05/22/this-years-sustainable-farming-incentive-offer/) on 22 May 2024. Defra and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) regularly attend industry events to share scheme offers and advice with farmers. The RPA helpline supports farmers, including tenant and family farmers, with general questions about SFI and other ELM schemes on their helpline

Furthermore, for the beginning of the agricultural transition, the Farming Resilience Fund (FRF) provided free business support to farmers and land managers in England. FRF was available from October 2022 to March 2025.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the water usage by data centres in the United Kingdom, and what sustainable sources of water will be used for this purpose.

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

Defra works closely with other Government Departments on plans to support the economic opportunities data centres bring, whilst making sure these developments are sustainable for local water supplies. Defra will continue to work with Ofwat to identify ways in which we can reduce overall water demand and achieve a secure supply of water for customers and the environment.

The water requirements of data centres vary, largely depending on the type of cooling systems used. Air cooled systems do not require very much water but are much more energy intensive. Closed loop systems reuse water, so have much lower water requirements than open loop systems.

As part of meeting the national statutory target to reduce the use of public water supply in England per head of population by 20% by 2038, Defra have set out an interim target to reduce non-household water use by 9% by 2030. We are currently working with TechUK, the trade association for data centres, to increase Defra and the Environment Agency's understanding of current water usage and cooling technologies being used.

When data centres are planned and designed, consideration should be given to the types of cooling technology being selected and the corresponding water needs. The water for cooling systems does not need to be drinking water quality. Consideration must also be given to where the data centre is going to be located to ensure that any water needs can be met.

The Environment Agency’s upcoming National Framework for Water Resources (2025) highlights the need for joined-up planning between different water-using sectors to identify collaborative solutions for water resources.

Found: After Clause 4 BARONESS MCINTOSH OF PICKERING BARONESS FINLAY OF LLANDAFF BARONESS BURT OF SOLIHULL

Found: After Clause 4 BARONESS MCINTOSH OF PICKERING BARONESS FINLAY OF LLANDAFF BARONESS BURT OF SOLIHULL

Found: After Clause 4 BARONESS MCINTOSH OF PICKERING BARONESS FINLAY OF LLANDAFF BARONESS BURT OF SOLIHULL

Found: After Clause 4 BARONESS MCINTOSH OF PICKERING BARONESS FINLAY OF LLANDAFF BARONESS BURT OF SOLIHULL

Found: _ Clause 12, page 18, leave out from line 19 to line 10 on page 19 After Clause 14 BARONESS MCINTOSH OF PICKERING

Found: Clauses 36 to 51 [Amendments marked ★ are new or have been altered] After Clause 3 BARONESS MCINTOSH OF PICKERING

Found: Clauses 36 to 51 [Amendments marked ★ are new or have been altered] After Clause 3 BARONESS MCINTOSH OF PICKERING

Found: Letter dated 17/04/2025 from Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill to Baroness McIntosh of Pickering regarding