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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to identify the support that is required by farmers during the transition from direct payments to Environmental Land Management Schemes.

The Government’s Agricultural Transition Plan sets out how we will maintain the same level of investment for farmers in England, which is £2.4 billion a year across this parliament, and is covered by the Government’s commitment to maintain current levels of spending in England, based on 2019 funding levels when the manifesto commitment was made.

We will re-invest money saved by reducing Direct Payments into improved and new environmental schemes, as well as schemes which will help farmers get their businesses ready for the transition.

These include The Future Farming Resilience Fund which provides business support to farmers and land managers to help them navigate the changes over this period, and the Farming Investment Fund providing grants to improve productivity and bring environmental benefits.

The transition period will also give farmers time to adapt and prepare for our new schemes.