Budget: Implications for Farming Communities

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown Excerpts
Monday 4th November 2024

(2 weeks, 3 days ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

Order. Can I just say that brevity will be helpful? I believe that everybody has a constituency interest, so I really want to get everyone in. If we can have shorter answers, that would be better. Also, if the Minister looked at me now and again, that would help me hear what is being said.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown Portrait Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (North Cotswolds) (Con)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

I declare my interests as a farmer.

A 75-year-old farmer emailed me last week and said

“we work long hours, usually alone.”

He said that agriculture

“has one of the highest suicide rates of any industry. There is a great deal of talk these days about mental health and the need to alleviate stress in the workplace, yet”

last week the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for agriculture

“destroyed everything I have ever worked for.”

How would the Minister answer that?

Daniel Zeichner Portrait Daniel Zeichner
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

I would reassure that farmer. I am afraid that I do not think he is correct on that, and we are absolutely determined to ensure that he can hand on his farm, as others have done before, but let us ensure that he gets the proper advice.