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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) cost to the public purse and (b) capacity to introduce a replacement scheme for the Stewardship Programme after the UK leaves the EU.

We will maintain the same cash total funding for the sector until the end of this Parliament: this includes all EU and Exchequer funding provided for farm support under both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 of the current Common Agricultural Policy. This commitment applies to each part of the UK.

Beyond that, we are currently considering the options and costings for a replacement scheme, taking account of the responses to the recent Health and Harmony consultation and delivery risks.