Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) incentivise and (b) encourage farmers and growers to use digital technology to boost productivity in the agriculture and horticulture sectors.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
We want to encourage a thriving and competitive farming sector where farms can be profitable and economically sustainable without subsidy.
Digital technology has a significant role to play. For farmers and growers, a reliable mobile and broadband connection can unlock a range of benefits, such as increased farm productivity through improved planning, monitoring and delivery of farming operations and aiding the diversification of their businesses.
We are helping farmers and growers through a number of schemes designed to incentivise and encourage the use of digital technology.
In autumn 2021, we will launch the Farming Investment Fund, formed of two strands.
The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund will support smaller investments from a prescribed list of items which we are developing. This will provide farmers and growers with the opportunity to invest in the equipment, technology and infrastructure that will help their businesses to prosper, while improving their productivity and enhancing the environment.
The Farming Transformation Fund will support more substantial investments in equipment, technology or infrastructure. Eligible investments could include precision slurry application equipment, efficient irrigation systems, and robotic systems for example.
In 2022, we will launch an ambitious innovation programme, putting farming businesses at the centre of R&D for new technologies and practices - including digital capabilities - to transform the productivity, profitability and sustainability of agriculture.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the findings of the National Farmers Union's Digital Technology Survey, published in January 2021, if he will take steps to improve access for farmers to the 4G mobile network.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government recognises that businesses and communities in rural areas need improved access to 4G mobile connectivity. The Shared Rural Network programme, launched in March 2020, is targeted at improving mobile coverage in rural areas. The Government and industry will jointly invest over £1 billion to increase 4G mobile coverage throughout the UK to 95% geographic coverage by the end of the programme, underpinned by legally binding coverage commitments. With funding now available, the Government and the operators remain confident that combined coverage will be delivered to 95% of the UK by the end of 2025, with areas around the UK starting to see improvements to 4G coverage long before completion. There have already been over 700 sites announced by the operators so far this year to help close not-spots across the UK. This will benefit consumers and businesses, including farm businesses.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to work with broadband providers to ensure that farmers have access to adequate broadband to support the planning, monitoring and delivery of their farming operations.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government is working with industry to target a minimum of 85% gigabit-capable coverage by 2025 but will seek to accelerate rollout further to get as close to 100% as possible. We are committed to investing £5 billion in bringing gigabit coverage to the hardest to reach areas, including areas with farm businesses, and will continue to work with suppliers to accelerate this investment.
On 19 March we announced the launch of the new gigabit broadband voucher scheme which forms part of the £5 billion programme and will go live on 8 April 2021. We will work closely with agricultural organisations, including the National Farmers Union, to promote the scheme with their members. The voucher will help to improve access to broadband in rural areas for all types of businesses, including farm businesses.
On 19 March, we also published a call for evidence on improving connectivity for very hard to reach premises. The call for evidence will help the Government explore all possible options for improving broadband connectivity in remote and very hard to reach areas of the UK, including farm businesses in these areas.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Government's target that at least 85 per cent of UK premises will have access to gigabit-capable broadband by 2025, what steps his Department is taking to help support farmers and growers who do not have access to gigabit-capable broadband; and if he will take steps with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to ensure that that access is made available to all farmers and growers in advance of that 2025 deadline.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Under the £5 billion Project Gigabit Programme we are working with industry to target a minimum of 85% gigabit-capable coverage by 2025 but will seek to accelerate rollout further to get as close to 100% as possible. We remain committed to investing £5 billion in bringing gigabit coverage to the hardest to reach areas and will continue to work with suppliers to accelerate this investment.
On 19 March we announced the launch of the new gigabit broadband voucher scheme which will go live on 8 April 2021. We will work closely with agricultural organisations, including the National Farmers Union, to promote the scheme with their members.
The call for evidence on improving connectivity for very hard to reach premises, also launched on 19 March, will help government explore all possible options for improving broadband connectivity in remote and very hard to reach areas of the UK. In particular, it references the need for, benefits of, and barriers to, improved broadband for agricultural businesses including both farming and horticulture.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a land-matching scheme, similar to schemes in place in Scotland and Northern Ireland, to match existing farmers with younger farmers to manage joint financial and operational ventures.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
As part of our engagement work with stakeholders to co-design a new entrant scheme we will explore and discuss the merits and impacts of establishing a land matching service drawing on the examples from Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and other countries. We will report more details of the outcomes of our co-design process for a new entrant scheme in the summer of 2021 and aim to launch the scheme in 2022.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to incentivise local authorities to retain and invest in their farm estates.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
This Government values the role that county farm estates play in providing a route into farming for new entrants. We want to encourage local authorities to retain and invest in their farm estates. That is why we are developing a new entrant funding scheme to create lasting opportunities for new entrants to access the land, infrastructure and support they need to establish successful and innovative businesses.
We want to encourage applications from local authorities, cooperative and community land organisations, local partnerships, and private and institutional landowners who have innovative ideas and the capability to provide long-term opportunities for talented new entrants.
The details of the scheme including the funding criteria are being developed through a consultative co-design process with stakeholders which includes representatives of local authorities with county farm estates. We aim to report more details about the scheme in summer of 2021 and launch the scheme in 2022.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with (a) local authorities, (b) landowners and (c) stakeholders on improving land accessibility to new entrants to the farming industry.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
As set out in the Agricultural Transition Plan this Government will provide funding to create lasting opportunities for new entrants to access land, infrastructure and support to establish successful and innovative businesses.
Funding for this new entrant scheme will be allocated from savings resulting from reducing direct payments helping new farmers to access opportunities in the sector in future.
The details and eligibility criteria of the new entrant scheme are being developed through a consultative co-design process with stakeholders. The co-design steering group includes representatives of local authorities with council farm estates, new entrant farmers, providers of innovation support for new farmers, cooperative and community land organisations and private landowners. We will also be engaging a wide range of stakeholders through workshops on key issues between February and May 2021. We will report more details of the scheme in the summer of 2021 and aim to launch the scheme in 2022.
During the agricultural transition the Government also intends to offer eligible farmers the option of a lump sum payment in place of future Direct Payments if they wish to leave the industry. By making it easier for those farmers who wish to retire to do so, the lump sum payment should free up more land for new entrants to start up. We plan to consult farmers on the details of our lump sum scheme shortly.
In addition, the Government is working with the Skills Leadership Group to introduce a professional body for agriculture and horticulture creating clear career pathways and promoting the sector as a progressive career choice to those wishing to enter the industry.