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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farmers in St Austell and Newquay constituency have not received an agreement with the Rural Payments Agency after applying to the 2019 Countryside Stewardship Scheme within the qualifying period for 2019.

There were a total of nine applicants in St Austell and Newquay constituency who submitted a valid application for a Countryside Stewardship agreement commencing on 1 January 2019. Of these, four applicants have been offered an agreement. The other five valid applications are being processed towards the stage at which the offer of an agreement can be made.

The RPA took on administration of Countryside Stewardship in October 2018 and is continuing to simplify the administration of the scheme as far as possible under the current EU system.