Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what update she can provide on the availability of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier schemes for common land.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The department expects commons groups to be able to apply for common land in Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier later this year through the new commons application process which is currently being trialled by the Rural Payments Agency ahead of wider roll out.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
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 to ensure that farmers have certainty when planning participation in future SFI schemes.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government plans to offer SFI in 2027, in keeping with the Farming Roadmap 2050. Defra is working to bring forward the 2027 offer as early as possible and will publish details once scheme design and delivery planning have been completed. Ministers have committed to stabilising the main design of SFI for the duration of this Parliament. The Government is also considering lessons from SFI26, including alternatives to first-come, first-served allocation, to support fairness, accessibility and deliverability.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress her Department has made towards launching the proposed consultation on the licensing of animal rescue and sanctuary organisations; and what the expected timeframe is for that consultation.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government committed in the Animal Welfare Strategy to launch a consultation on the potential licensing of domestic rescue and rehoming organisations. This will seek views from all those with an interest in this important sector. This Government is already engaging with stakeholders to inform future rescue and rehoming policy and the consultation will follow in due course.