Lord Grantchester Portrait

Lord Grantchester

Labour - Excepted Hereditary

Became Member: 31st October 2003


1 APPG membership (as of 28 Mar 2025)
Science and Technology in Agriculture
3 Former APPG memberships
Dairy, Dark Skies, Hydrogen
Environment and Climate Change Committee
19th Jan 2022 - 30th Jan 2025
Land Use in England Committee
19th Jan 2022 - 28th Nov 2022
Shadow Spokesperson (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
14th Jul 2016 - 19th Jan 2022
Shadow Spokesperson (Energy and Climate Change)
18th Sep 2015 - 19th Jan 2022
Opposition Whip (Lords)
8th Oct 2010 - 17th May 2021
Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
1st Jul 2014 - 17th May 2021


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Lord Grantchester has voted in 88 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Lord Grantchester Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Labour)
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
(4 debate interactions)
Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat)
(2 debate interactions)
Lord Livermore (Labour)
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
(2 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Legislation Debates
Football Governance Bill [HL] 2024-26
(2,180 words contributed)
Great British Energy Bill 2024-26
(1,604 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Lord Grantchester's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lord Grantchester, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


Lord Grantchester has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Lord Grantchester has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 4 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
27th Mar 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what provision they intend to make for those who were partway through the Sustainable Farming Incentive application process before its cancellation.

The high level of participation in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) means we have now reached the upper limit and the SFI budget has been successfully allocated. This meant as of Tuesday, 11 March we had to stop accepting new applications for the SFI.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
27th Mar 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mitigate the impact on those subject to Basic Payment Scheme cuts who had planned to apply for the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

We remain committed to investing £5 billion of funding in the farming budget this year and next (£2.6 billion for 24/25 and the £2.4 billion for 25/26, as previously announced), and are on track to do so, with every penny of the reductions to delinked payments staying within the sector.

We will target investments away from Direct Payments towards improving the Environmental Land Management schemes, including to those farms least able to adapt.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive is an important offer, but it is part of a wider package. We remain committed to investing in Environmental Land Management schemes. We plan to launch the new Higher Tier scheme later this year; Capital Grants will re-open in summer 2025; we continue to move forward with Landscape Recovery; and we are increasing payment rates for Higher Level Stewardship agreement holders to recognise their ongoing commitment to delivering environmental outcome.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
27th Mar 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend that any future reinterpretation of the Sustainable Farming Incentive would comprise distinct non-universal schemes for more targeted purposes such as small farms, hill farms and other designations.

No decision has been made on exactly how the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) will be adapted.

We are evolving the SFI offer and are exploring ways to better target the money, for instance, potentially towards smaller farmers, the least productive land or delivering specific outcomes. We will provide further details about the reformed SFI offer once the Spending Review has been completed.

However, although SFI is an important offer, it is part of a wider package. We plan to launch the new Higher Tier scheme later this year; Capital Grants will re-open in summer 2025; we continue to move forward with Landscape Recovery; and we are increasing payment rates for Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement holders to recognise their ongoing commitment to delivering environmental outcome.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
27th Mar 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the role of all farms in hitting the Government's targets for (1) the environment, (2) the climate, and (3) food security.

Farms have a key role to play in achieving our environment and climate targets and food security, and Defra is working closely with farmers and the wider food industry. The transition to more climate-friendly agricultural practices goes hand in hand with food security and farm productivity as well as supporting many of our environment targets. We need to support farmers to adopt low carbon farming practices, increasing the carbon stored on their land while boosting profitability. This is vital in achieving a resilient, secure and healthy food system that works with nature and supports British farmers.

Food security is national security. We need a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British farmers, fishers and food producers. That is why this Government will introduce a new deal for farmers to boost rural economic growth and strengthen Britain's food security.

The UK has a resilient food supply chain and is equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. We produce 62% of all the food we need, and 75% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year.

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