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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (a) how many applicants to Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 Window 2 have requested consideration under the arrangements for recognised technical issues, (b) how many have subsequently been permitted to submit an application, (c) how many applications were started but not submitted before the window closed on 22 September 2026, and (d) whether she plans to provide a further opportunity to apply before 2027 for eligible farmers who missed the deadline.

The Government recognises that a small number of applicants experienced technical issues during the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) 2026 Window 2 application period. Cases raised with the Rural Payments Agency were considered on their individual circumstances.