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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the mental health of farmers.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.

The department regularly meets with stakeholders as part of ongoing work to understand the causes behind poor mental health in farmers and what actions can be taken to assist those experiencing mental health challenges.

Before Christmas, I hosted a roundtable for national farmer welfare organisations to discuss this important issue. The department is in contact with officials from the Department for Health and Social Care and will shortly be discussing the issues raised during the roundtable.