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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of farm diversification projects in rural areas.

The Government recognises that rural areas offer significant potential for growth and is taking steps to support the development of farm diversification projects in rural areas.

As the Secretary of State announced in his Oxford Farming Conference earlier this year, he understands that the focus of the department should be on boosting profitability on primary income, whilst also supporting its diversification.