Farming Road Map and Profitability Review Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Charlie Dewhirst
Main Page: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)Department Debates - View all Charlie Dewhirst's debates with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Farming Road Map and Profitability Review
Charlie Dewhirst Excerpts(1 month, 1 week ago)
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Emma Reynolds
The short answer is yes—I could not agree with my hon. Friend more. That is why I am working closely with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on planning reform to ensure that those planning barriers are not holding back investment into the farming sector.
Charlie Dewhirst (Bridlington and The Wolds) (Con)
The Secretary of State seemed to ignore the question from my right hon. Friend the Member for Louth and Horncastle (Victoria Atkins) about the use of land and increasing food production, so I will ask specifically again: how are our farmers expected to increase food production if we are taking 9% of agricultural land out of productive use?
Emma Reynolds
As we set out in our land use framework, our intention in working with the sector is to ensure that we have more productive and profitable farms and multifunctional land use so that we maintain, if not increase, food production levels, alongside the land use changes that we need to secure a sustainable farming transition.