Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data her Department holds on farmer-reported barriers to accessing private finance.

The Government regularly and actively engages with farmers to listen to their views and understand their concerns, including barriers to accessing private finance, and take their feedback into account. Defra has built up a good understanding of the main issues through our farming programmes, our investment readiness support, and evaluations. The recently published Review of Farming Productivity by Baroness Minette Batters has also provided us with additional insights and recommendations on how to unlock finance.