Farming: 25-year Road Map Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Lord Roborough
Main Page: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)Department Debates - View all Lord Roborough's debates with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Farming: 25-year Road Map
Lord Roborough Excerpts(1 day, 23 hours ago)
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Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
I suggest that we have answers on a postcard.
Lord Roborough (Con)
I refer the House to my entry on the register of interests as a farmer. Part of the new deal for farmers, published in January by the Secretary of State, was to diversify income streams for farmers. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill, as drafted, will divert nature restoration levies away from farmers to Natural England. Can the Minister explain to your Lordships’ House why this should not be taken as a reduction in diversification opportunities for farmers?
Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
As I said, food production, diversification and improvements in the environment are the three central pillars of the road map that we are developing—we are extremely keen to ensure that diversification is part of it. One problem that many farmers have faced in the past is not being able to get through the planning applications that are so critical to diversification. Again, that is something that we are looking at as part of our reform of the planning system.