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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to mitigate soil degradation caused by agricultural activities in the UK.

We are taking a range of actions to mitigate soil degradation caused by agricultural activities in England including through outcome-based cross-compliance soils rules and funding to protect soil through existing Environmental Stewardship agri-environment agreements and the Countryside Stewardship scheme. We introduced Farming Rules for Water in April which contain measures to protect soil including the appropriate application of fertilisers and the control of soil erosion.

The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our ambition to replenish depleted soil and restore its fertility so that soils are managed sustainably by 2030. Future farming policy should incentivise sustainable farming practices that protect soil through our new system of public money for public goods.