Direct Payments Ceilings Regulations 2020

Earl of Shrewsbury Excerpts

Wednesday 1st July 2020 Lords Chamber

[The Earl of Shrewsbury (Con) [V]]

My Lords, I declare my interest as a former farmer and a current member of the National Farmers’ Union.

In welcoming these two statutory instruments I will be very brief indeed. These are very straightforward SIs, which have no bearing on future agricultural reform, reform which—in the Agriculture Bill currently before us—is, in my opinion, long overdue. These instruments simply facilitate and enable payments to be made to farmers in this year, 2020.

Farmers are not having an easy time financially. Some people will be of the opinion that taxpayer-funded support of farmers is wrong, but that is what we do in this country, and that is what they do in the EU. As we cast off the shackles of the CAP, we will continue to support our agricultural industry in our own, reformed way. The populace want good, safe food at a reasonable price. Our farmers produce that. They are among the best agriculturalists in the world but, to produce that food at a price reasonable to the consumer, state support is a necessity.

I support my noble friend’s two statutory instruments.