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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce any (a) fiscal and (b) policy incentives to support longer-term leasing arrangements between (i) landowners and (ii) tenant farmers.

The Department recognises the benefits that longer-term tenancy agreements can provide for both tenants and landlords. The joint Defra-Industry Farm Tenancy Forum is working on guidance and best practice to encourage more landlords and tenants to enter into longer-term agreements. Alongside this we continually look at how fiscal and policy interventions across the Department may impact on landlord decisions to offer longer-term agreements. In addition, we are in the process of appointing a Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector to help embed fair practice across the sector.