Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to support dairy farmers in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK dairy sector is highly resilient and adaptable and continues to supply healthy and affordable products, both capitalising on the opportunities and rising to the challenges it has faced in recent years.
Following a recent period of enhanced profitability for the UK sector, supply of dairy is currently exceeding demand on both our domestic and wider global markets. This is resulting in reductions to UK farmgate milk prices.
Ensuring fairness in supply chains is key for UK dairy farmers and supporting the sustainability of the sector. The Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024, which fully came into force on 9 July 2025, improve fairness and transparency, requiring dairy contracts to include clear terms on pricing, termination, and prohibiting unilateral changes. However, these regulations are not intended to set prices.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland about the potential impact of proposed changes to inheritance tax on family farms in Ulster.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following the reforms to inheritance tax announced at Budget 2024, we have engaged with the farming community and businesses. Having carefully considered this feedback, we are going further to protect more farms and businesses, while maintaining the core principle that the most valuable agricultural and business assets should not receive unlimited relief.
The allowance for 100% rate of relief will be increased from £1 million to £2.5 million when it is introduced in April 2026. This means a couple will now be able to pass on up to £5 million tax-free between them, on top of existing allowances such as the nil rate band.
Raising the threshold will significantly reduce the number of farms and business owners facing higher inheritance tax bills under the reforms, ensuring only the largest estates are affected. This gets the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make representations to the Treasury about the potential merits of raising the threshold at which family farms pay inheritance tax.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following the reforms to inheritance tax announced at Budget 2024, we have engaged with the farming community and businesses. Having carefully considered this feedback, we are going further to protect more farms and businesses, while maintaining the core principle that the most valuable agricultural and business assets should not receive unlimited relief.
The allowance for 100% rate of relief will be increased from £1 million to £2.5 million when it is introduced in April 2026. This means a couple will now be able to pass on up to £5 million tax-free between them, on top of existing allowances such as the nil rate band.
Raising the threshold will significantly reduce the number of farms and business owners facing higher inheritance tax bills under the reforms, ensuring only the largest estates are affected. This gets the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues in the Treasury about the adequacy of government funding to support farmers in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero about the potential impact of increases in energy costs on farmers in Staffordshire.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of support for diary farmers in Staffordshire.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK dairy sector is highly resilient and adaptable and continues to supply healthy and affordable products, both capitalising on the opportunities and rising to the challenges it has faced in recent years.
This Government recognises that food security is national security, and that it requires a resilient and healthy food system that works with nature and supports farmers. That is why we are introducing new deals for farmers across England including those who farm in Staffordshire to boost rural economic growth and strengthen food security.
Ensuring fairness in supply chains is key for UK dairy farmers and supporting the sustainability of the sector. The Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024, which fully came into force on 9 July 2025, improve fairness and transparency, requiring dairy contracts to include clear terms on pricing, termination, and prohibiting unilateral changes.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she will take to support farmers in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has allocated £11.8 billion this parliament to sustainable farming and food production, targeting public money where it delivers most value, in Newcastle-under-Lyme and across the country.
The Government is making supply chains fairer to ensure farmers, particularly smaller farmers who can be most exposed to market pressures, are protected in their contracts, while unlocking new markets for British produce.
The department has published Baroness Batters’ independent Farming Profitability Review 2025. A 25-year Farming Roadmap setting out the long-term direction for farming will follow next year.
Defra is establishing a farming and food partnership board to give farmers a stronger voice in Government.
Changes to planning rules will place greater emphasis on food production, making it easier for farmers to develop infrastructure.
We will take forward sector plans to build profitability in sectors with great potential, and we will seek to boost private finance into farming.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of access to green open spaces for the health and wellbeing of people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s ambition is that access to nature is recognised as a key enabler of prevention of ill-health and is harnessed for the health and wellbeing of communities and individuals. Increasing equitable access to nature is a key method in delivering on preventative healthcare and a neighbourhood centric approach and supports health and wellbeing for all demographics.
The government has worked with Staffordshire County Council in support of improving opportunities for residents to realise the benefits of improved access to green spaces.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to tackle waste crime in rural communities.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is making the necessary policy and regulatory reforms to close the loopholes being exploited by waste criminals. Key reforms include carrier, broker, dealer reform, waste permit exemption reform and the introduction of digital waste tracking. I believe these reforms are the best way to drive criminality out of the waste sector whether in urban or rural communities.
However, the Government recognises that there can be challenges in responding to rural crime. That is why the Government collaborated with the National Police Chiefs’ Councils to deliver their renewal of the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy, which was published in November. The strategy, lasting until 2028, will ensure efforts to reduce crime benefit every community no matter where they live, including rural communities.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a standalone clean air act.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan, we are committed to a series of interventions to improve air quality to deliver benefits for public health, the environment, and the economy.