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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the House of Lords Hoticultural Sector Committee Report entitled Sowing the seeds: A blooming English horticultural sector, published on 6 November 2023, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Government funding to the horticultural sector.

The Government recognises the specific needs of the sector, and Defra ministers and officials meet regularly with growers to discuss a wide range of issues to help us understand how best to support the sector.

Our proposed approach to future funding for horticulture will be considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and nature.