Asked by: Baroness Rock (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following their blog post "Update on the farming budget", published on 12 March, what plans they have to meet the National Farmers' Union, the Country Land and Business Association and the Tenant Farmers Association to discuss the reopening of the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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.
Asked by: Baroness Rock (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following their blog post, "Update on the farming budget", published on 12 March, how many Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme applications had been started, but not submitted, by close of business on 11 March.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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.
Asked by: Baroness Rock (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following their blog post "Update on the farming budget", published on 12 March, when they expect (1) to reopen applications under the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme, and (2) new contracts under the reopened scheme to begin.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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.
Asked by: Baroness Rock (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following their blog post "Update on the farming budget", published on 12 March, what is the committed expenditure for the next financial year for agreements currently in place under each of the schemes listed; and what funding is available for new agreements under each of those schemes.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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.
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.