Thursday 16th December 2021

(2 years, 10 months ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Lord Benyon Portrait Lord Benyon (Con)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

My noble friend is absolutely right. One reason why we have done this iterative process, with tests and trials and piloting these different schemes, is because we want to make sure that they are brought in in as effective a way as possible. We have already reduced, with the sustainable farming incentive, the amount of guidance to make it as simple and clear as possible. Farmers should not be paying land agents huge amounts of money to do those schemes; they can do it themselves.

Lord Lexden Portrait Lord Lexden (Con)
- Hansard - -

My Lords, in this season of good will, should we not congratulate my noble friend the Minister on his wonderful passion for the countryside and express the hope that he is able in the new year to extend that passion ever more widely?

Lord Benyon Portrait Lord Benyon (Con)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I do not know what I can say in answer to such a generous question, expect to say a very happy Christmas to my noble friend and everybody else.