Asked by: Baroness Rock (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Autumn Budget statement, what assessment they have made of the concerns raised by the Tenant Farmers Association on 30 October regarding the impact of changes to inheritance tax on tenant farm families; and whether they plan to meet the Tenant Farmers Association to discuss this further.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief on gov.uk. Around 500 estates across the UK are expected to be affected each year from 2026-27.
In accordance with standard practice, a Tax Information and Impact Note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.
Asked by: Baroness Rock (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 28 October (HL1473), whether the political affiliation of non-executive directors was a consideration in their decision to remove non-executive directors since the general election.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the noble Lady to the reply previously given on 28 October 2024 to question HL1473.
Asked by: Baroness Rock (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government for what policy reasons the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has removed non-executive directors since the general election.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It is normal practice for incoming Secretaries of State to make decisions on their departmental boards, considering the skills and experience that the membership brings. Individuals who have been dismissed from the Defra Board since 4 July 2024 have received reasons in writing in line with their terms of appointment.
Asked by: Baroness Rock (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance the Cabinet Office public appointments team has provided on practices relating to the removal of regulated public appointees from office; and whether associated guidance has been produced further to the Governance Code on Public Appointments.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
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.
Asked by: Baroness Rock (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what remit the Commissioner for Public Appointments has over the removal of regulated public appointees from office.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
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.
Asked by: Baroness Rock (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 17 September (HC4655), what instruction has been given to Departments by (1) 10 Downing Street, and (2) the Cabinet Office, since the general election on removing non-executive directors from Government Departments, including the removal of Conservative-affiliated individuals.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
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.
Asked by: Baroness Rock (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that tenant farmers on short-term, restrictive Farm Business Tenancies will not be constrained from entering new Environmental Land Management Schemes by their landlords.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
Our approach to environmental land management is the cornerstone of our new agricultural policy. Farming efficiently and improving the environment can go hand in hand.
The Government is working to ensure that the design of our future farming schemes is accessible to as many farmers as possible including tenant farmers. For example, we have designed the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme rules for 2022 to have shorter agreements and more flexibility, to better suit tenant farmers, and we have removed the requirement to demonstrate landlord consent. We are exploring and testing how our new schemes might work in practice across different types of holdings and different types and lengths of tenancy agreements.
As part of the development of our new schemes, we have considered the needs of tenants and worked closely with a number of organisations including the Tenant Farmers Association, Country Land and Business Association and National Farmers' Union. We are looking into the problem raised, and will work with these organisations and other stakeholders, to understand whether there is anything we need to do to ensure tenants are not excluded from schemes.
We are also working with tenants through our pilot, test and trials and user research.
Asked by: Baroness Rock (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to schedule a meeting between the Chancellor of the Exchequer and representatives of the Tenant Farmers Association to discuss the proposals for amendments to the taxation framework.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The Tenant Farmers Association provides a constructive contribution to considerations on the letting of agricultural land. The Government recognises that the fiscal framework plays a role in landowners' decisions on whether to let land and on the length of tenancy terms offered. Other factors are important too such as the size, quality and location of the land, and personal motivations for owning land. The Government is committed to a fair and sustainable tax system and keeps all taxes under review as a matter of course. The impacts and potential unintended consequences of tax reform need careful analysis to ensure confidence in the let sector is maintained.
Officials from Defra and HM Treasury have regular discussions to share information and feedback views from farming stakeholders. A third of all farmland in England is tenanted and a vibrant tenanted sector is vital to the future of agriculture. The Government is working with the Tenants Farmers Association and others to ensure our future farming policy provides an enabling environment for tenant farmers, including ready access to the Sustainable Farming Incentive and other future schemes. Minister Prentis recently met with George Dunn of the Tenant Farmers Association where a wide range of issues relating to tenant farmers were discussed, including the importance that tenant farmers can join environmental schemes without consequences on their tenancy agreements.
Asked by: Baroness Rock (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposals from the Tenant Farmers Association to amend the taxation framework within which landlords of farmland make decisions about letting land to encourage longer term farm business tenancies; and what plans they have, if any, to implement these changes.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The Tenant Farmers Association provides a constructive contribution to considerations on the letting of agricultural land. The Government recognises that the fiscal framework plays a role in landowners' decisions on whether to let land and on the length of tenancy terms offered. Other factors are important too such as the size, quality and location of the land, and personal motivations for owning land. The Government is committed to a fair and sustainable tax system and keeps all taxes under review as a matter of course. The impacts and potential unintended consequences of tax reform need careful analysis to ensure confidence in the let sector is maintained.
Officials from Defra and HM Treasury have regular discussions to share information and feedback views from farming stakeholders. A third of all farmland in England is tenanted and a vibrant tenanted sector is vital to the future of agriculture. The Government is working with the Tenants Farmers Association and others to ensure our future farming policy provides an enabling environment for tenant farmers, including ready access to the Sustainable Farming Incentive and other future schemes. Minister Prentis recently met with George Dunn of the Tenant Farmers Association where a wide range of issues relating to tenant farmers were discussed, including the importance that tenant farmers can join environmental schemes without consequences on their tenancy agreements.
Asked by: Baroness Rock (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 to include similar provisions to those set out in section 19A of the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
Following consultation, the Government implemented new provisions to help resolve disputes relating to requests for variations to Agricultural Holdings Act tenancy agreements. This is because these agreements were negotiated over 30 years ago in a very different policy and commercial context than we have today, and they are more likely to need variation and modernisation. Consultation responses did not support the same changes to the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 because Farm Business Tenancies are modern agreements more recently negotiated and entered into by both parties.
The Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 enables the tenant and landlord to agree at the start of a tenancy that diversified activity (such as environmental activities) can take place on the holding whilst still confirming they intend it to remain a Farm Business Tenancy throughout the length of the agreement. The Government encourages landlords and tenants of Farm Business Tenancies to work together to find solutions to agreed diversifications including using the land for environmental improvements which can often be delivered alongside agricultural production. To encourage this further, the Tenancy Reform Industry Group, which includes representatives of tenants and landlords, has recently produced a Code of Good Practice providing guidance to help tenants, landlords and their advisers take a positive approach to agreeing variations to tenancy agreements.
The Government is working to ensure that the design of our future farming schemes is accessible to as many land managers as possible, including tenant farmers. As part of this, we are considering questions around landlord consent and length of scheme agreement and we are exploring and testing how our new schemes might work in practice across different types of holdings and different types and lengths of tenancy agreements. The Government is grateful for the ongoing constructive contribution that industry representatives of agricultural tenants and landlords are making to this process as we move through the agricultural transition period.