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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Rural Payments Agency plans to introduce an interim solution allow common land to enter (a) Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier and (b) the Sustainable Farming Incentive, pending development of a full system solution.

Common land and shared grazing are, in theory, eligible for both the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) and Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) schemes. For technical reasons, commons groups will not be able to apply for SFI on common land when the next application window opens this month, or apply for a CSHT agreement on common land at this stage.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is working on a solution to this issue, assessing how common land applications can be made in the schemes, and actively exploring both off and on system options for CSHT, testing feasibility. Once this assessment is complete, the RPA will communicate its planned approach, including any implications for SFI to stakeholders and potential agreement holders with common land.