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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Spring Statement 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to the funding of the Farming and Countryside Programme on the net number of hectares of farmland farmed in a nature-friendly way.

We are increasing the budget for sustainable farming and are investing more than £2.7 billion a year in farming and nature recovery.

Funding for the Environmental Land Management Schemes paid to farmers will increase by 150% from £800 million in 2023/24 to £2 billion by 2028/29.

As a result of the Government’s determination to get more farmers to participate, there are now 50,000 farm businesses and half of all farmed land now managed under our schemes – with more money being spent through these schemes than at any point.