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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question 52615 on Agriculture: Finance, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of not including goats in the eligibility criteria for the Animal Health and Welfare grant in the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2025 on goat farmers.

The Animal Health and Welfare grant scheme is part of the broader Animal Health and Welfare Pathway (the Pathway), which remains focused on the most commonly farmed species: pigs, dairy cows, beef cattle, laying hens, broiler chickens and sheep. This approach was co-designed with industry, non-government organisations and welfare scientists, and has shaped the development of the support offered, including the scope and items list for the grant. There are currently no plans to make an assessment of the impact of not including goats in the eligibility criteria as they are not one of the most commonly farmed species.

The Department remains committed to working collaboratively with industry to ensure that grants are targeted towards those who need them most and where they can deliver the most benefit for food security, animal health and welfare, and nature.