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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Press release “PM: Farmers should not carry the risk of a changing climate alone” published on 14 August 2026, in what way will the measures introduce more flexibility in environmental schemes.

The Government has made temporary adjustments to Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, giving farmers flexibility and making it easier for farm business cash flow as they deal with growing food in this summer’s extreme conditions.

Adjustments will enable farmers to create firebreaks on land in an agreement to protect houses, animals and crops from wildfires.

To ease shortages of animal feed and bedding, the government has acted by removing restrictions so farmers can cut and graze land in an ELM agreement.

The Government has also given farmers more time to establish ELM actions where dry conditions have made planting impossible.

GOV.UK guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hot-and-dry-weather-temporary-support-for-farmers-in-2026) went live on Saturday 15 August and measures came into force on the same day.