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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency plans she has made to support farmers in Runcorn and Helsby given that demand for Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 exceeded the available budget.

The Government recognises the disappointment of farmers who were unable to submit an application before funding was allocated. The window remained open until sufficient applications had been received to allocate the available funding and regular budget updates were published during the day. Eligible farmers who did not obtain an SFI26 agreement will have another opportunity to apply in 2027. Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier remains available through its expression-of-interest process for appropriate land and activities. Defra is also exploring improvements for SFI27, including alternatives to first-come, first-served allocation.