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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to guarantee funding for the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme for 2019.

We will provide stability to UK farmers as we leave the EU and the Government has committed to provide the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of the parliament.

It will be for the Scottish Government to decide on the allocation of funding to individual schemes including the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme for 2019.

The Agriculture Bill will ensure that after we leave the EU we have an effective system in place to support UK farmers and protect our natural environment for future generations. The Secretary of State has spoken to Ministers from Scotland and Wales and officials remain in regular contact with the Northern Ireland Executive. We will continue to engage with the devolved administrations and more widely on the design and the appropriate extent of any legislation.