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

To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are giving to farmers to help develop renewable energy businesses on their land alongside their farming interests.

The Net Zero Strategy sets out a clear vision for a sustained increase in deployment of renewable generation capacity in the 2020s and beyond. In addition, The British Energy Security Strategy set out a series of bold commitments to support and accelerate this as part of a decisive shift away from expensive fossil fuels.

HM Government recognises the need to preserve our most productive arable farmland as best as possible. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out clearly that local planning authorities should consider all the benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land, when making plans or taking decisions on new development proposals. Where significant development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, planning authorities should seek to use poorer quality land in preference to that of a higher quality. On farm, the Farming Investment Fund (FIF) seeks to encourage farmers in the use of technologies with improved energy-use efficiency and use of renewable energy as part of its large grants offering (the Transformation Fund). Defra is also exploring renewable energy sources such as capturing methane on farm for use as biogas and green fuels for farm machinery, supporting further research into innovative new technologies.

Protecting our environment, backing British farmers and delivering long-term energy security with more renewables are at the heart of the Government’s manifesto. That’s why we will be looking at the frameworks for regulation, innovation and investment so we can continue to support farmers and land managers to make decisions and continue to manage our land to produce high welfare and high-quality food, protect the environment and biodiversity, and contribute to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.