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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of payment parity between (a) legacy Higher Level Stewardship agreements, and (b) current Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreements.

In February last year, Defra recognised that Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payment rates had fallen behind the rates offered through other schemes including Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT).

Defra invested £30 million to increase payment rates so farmers in HLS agreements can continue to restore habitats, support rare species, preserve historic features and maintain traditional landscape features in our iconic countryside.

Defra raised 157 options by 34.4% of the difference between the HLS rate set out in an agreement holder's document and the equivalent CSHT or Sustainable Farming Incentive action, to bring them more in line with those schemes. This includes equivalent payment rates for agreements above the moorland line.