Baroness Rock

The principle and processes for making regulated public appointments are set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments. No instructions have been given from 10 Downing Street or the Cabinet Office on removing non-executives from Government Departments.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments has no direct role in the decision making of individual public appointments, including their removal from office. The Commissioner’s functions, as set out in the Public Appointments Order in Council and the Governance Code on Public Appointments, is to provide independent assurance that public appointments are made in accordance with the Principles of Public Appointments and the processes set out in the Code.

The principle and processes for making regulated public appointments are set out in the Governance Code. The Cabinet Office has not issued specific guidance relating to the termination of individuals’ appointments.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments has no direct role in the decision making of individual public appointments, including their removal from office. The Commissioner’s functions, as set out in the Public Appointments Order in Council and the Governance Code on Public Appointments, is to provide independent assurance that public appointments are made in accordance with the Principles of Public Appointments and the processes set out in the Code.

The principle and processes for making regulated public appointments are set out in the Governance Code. The Cabinet Office has not issued specific guidance relating to the termination of individuals’ appointments.

The farming blog published on Wednesday 12 March set out Defra’s spend over the next two years (24/25 and 25/26).

Defra will manage that budget flexibly to respond to demand, and achieve our intended outcomes for farm productivity, environment, climate and animal health and welfare.

In line with its obligations under the Agriculture Act 2020, Defra regularly publishes an annual report setting out commitments in the previous financial year. Defra intends to publish the annual report for the financial year 2024/25 later this year, which will set out how money was spent in that financial year.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive Expanded Offer (SFI EO) is an online application and by close of business on the 11 March there are 6,626 applications currently started but not submitted on the Rural Payments Portal.

We have closed SFI for new applications on the 11 March because the current SFI budget had been successfully allocated, with large-scale uptake of the scheme and 37,000 live SFI agreements delivering towards our environmental target.

We will be reforming the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer to direct funding towards SFI actions which are most appropriate for the least productive land and have the strongest case for enduring public investment.

We expect to publish more information about the reformed SFI offer in summer 2025. This will include an indication of when we expect to re-open SFI for applications.

The Secretary of State attended the National Farmers Union (NFU) conference in February. Minister Zeichner has had 1:1 bilateral meetings on the Sustainable Farming Incentive specifically with the NFU, National Beef Association, British Poultry Council, Soil Association, Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, National Pig Association, National Sheep Association, British Egg Industry Council, National Federation of Young Farmers, British Free Range Egg Producers Association, LAA, Tenant Farmers Association and Country, Land and Business Association.

I refer the noble Lady to the reply previously given on 28 October 2024 to question HL1473.