Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Stephenson Excerpts

Thursday 13th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal) (Con)]

3. What steps she is taking to encourage young people to take up learning and vocational training opportunities in the countryside and farming sector.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

5. What steps she is taking to encourage young people to take up learning and vocational training opportunities in the countryside and farming sector.

[George Eustice (Camborne and Redruth) (Con)]

6. What steps she is taking to encourage young people to take up learning and vocational training opportunities in the countryside and farming sector.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mrs Spelman]

I have absolutely no hesitation in endorsing that scheme in Suffolk. Obviously, we would like to see that example of best practice replicated elsewhere.

[Andrew Stephenson]

With the rising price of lamb making upland sheep farming a promising and viable business now and for the future, what is the Minister going to do to ensure that more young people are attracted to remain in this sector of farming after generations of farmers’ sons and daughters have left it?

[Mrs Spelman]

I well remember, when we launched our upland support package, which brought £26 million of new money to help support farmers and their communities in the uplands, sheep farmers saying to me that this problem of succession is a serious one. So I was delighted to hear that Northumberland national park, in partnership with Lantra, is encouraging a programme with the local college in that national park for upland farming skills. A similar scheme called Dartmoor skills has also been introduced. I think that young people will increasingly be attracted to the tradition of sheep farming, which has a bright future.