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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Northern Ireland Executive and (b) representatives of the agricultural industry in Northern Ireland on maintaining current levels of agricultural funding for Northern Ireland at the end of the transition period.

The Secretary of State has had recent discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive both bilaterally and via the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which brings together ministers from all parts of the UK to discuss matters of shared interest, including funding. Defra also regularly holds discussions with stakeholders from across the agricultural industry, including representatives from Northern Ireland.

The Government has pledged to guarantee the current annual budget in every year of this Parliament. HM Treasury is ultimately responsible for financial matters across UK Government and lead on discussions on all funding matters with finance ministers in the devolved administrations. Defra will of course continue to work closely with HM Treasury and the devolved administrations on these funding arrangements and to agree funding after 2020.