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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether is Department has allocated funding to charities to help tackle depression in the farming community.

The Prime Minister launched Government’s first loneliness strategy last October. As part of the strategy Defra is supporting community infrastructure and community action to tackle loneliness in rural areas. The ACRE network of Rural Community Councils has already begun prioritising work with local partners on tackling loneliness in rural areas, using Defra’s contribution to its funding. We are convening a rural stakeholder group in March to advise and support the work of Government and help with the local communication of initiatives and good practice. The group will meet regularly to explore issues specific to rural communities.

Defra provides grant funding to the Farming Community Network charity for the specific purpose of supporting Bovine TB affected farming families and businesses.