Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Alistair Strathern and Daniel Zeichner(1 month ago)
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Alistair Strathern (Hitchin) (Lab)
The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs (Daniel Zeichner)
Funding for the environmental land management schemes paid to farmers will increase by 150%, from £800 million in 2023-24 to £2 billion by 2028-29. Sadly, though, we inherited a set of schemes that did not necessarily distribute funds fairly. We are working with farmers to reshape the SFI, and further information about our reforms will be provided shortly.
Alistair Strathern
Like the National Farmers Union, I welcome the protections for the agriculture budget in the recent spending review, including crucial funding for sustainable farming. On visits to farmers in my constituency, the difference this is making is clear: it is investing in our countryside and supporting nature-based farming. However, far too many farmers on small and medium-sized farms tell me that the scheme is far too difficult for them to access at the moment. Those are exactly the farmers who are also likely to be locked out of private nature-based financing options, so how can we work with those farmers to reform the scheme and ensure that more of those small and medium-sized farms can benefit from this crucial funding?
Daniel Zeichner
My hon. Friend makes an important point, and I commend him on his interest and his insight. He is absolutely right, and we are learning from past SFI iterations and from what we are hearing from farmers to improve the SFI for all farmers and to ensure we can give better guidance and that everyone can have a share of the pie. We are also looking into a new local advice and collaboration offer, as well as considering how we can get the best environmental outcomes from the money we are spending.
Avian Influenza
Debate between Alistair Strathern and Daniel Zeichner(8 months, 1 week ago)
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.
Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.
This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record
Daniel Zeichner
The right hon. Gentleman raises an important point. As he will be aware, significant international trade issues are involved, but as we look to a world in which we seem to have more and more of these cases, that is certainly something that we keep under consideration.
Alistair Strathern (Hitchin) (Lab)
I thank the Government for their strong and fast response, which I know will be a big reassurance for lots of the farming communities impacted. May I ask the Minister to provide a bit more detail about the support we are giving not just to those who are directly impacted now, but to those who are understandably very deeply concerned about what this may mean for their businesses over the coming months?
Daniel Zeichner
I thank my hon. Friend for his very important question. I can assure him that an entire apparatus is in place to ensure that all reassurance can be given to the kind of businesses that the right hon. Member for Maldon (Sir John Whittingdale) described. From an animal welfare point of view, we will ensure that everybody involved in the sector has the kind of advice and support that is needed. If my hon. Friend has colleagues who wish to look at the advice, they should look at the webpages available on Government websites, which are significant and thorough. If people need advice, they should not hesitate to come to my officials or to me, and we will point them in the right direction.