Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps she is taking to support rural businesses.

Prosperous rural businesses will be underpinned by improvements to rural connectivity and productivity, access to public services and a thriving farming sector.

To this end, we are restoring stability and investment in our public services as the best way to support growth across the country, including in rural areas. We are investing £5 billion in broadband connectivity which will support growth in rural areas across the UK. We confirmed over £650 million of funding for local transport beyond City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements in 2025-26 to ensure that transport connections improve in our towns, villages and rural areas.

We have also committed £5 billion for the farming budget over two years – which includes the largest ever amount of funding directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history.