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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to consult with (a) farmers and (b) agricultural stakeholders from Fylde constituency in advance of the implementation of the new Higher Level Stewardship payment rates.

There are no live Higher Level Stewardship (HLS agreements in the Fylde constituency.

HLS payment rates have stayed the same for more than 10 years. In that time, they have fallen behind the rates offered through other schemes, including Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) and the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). On that basis we have taken the opportunity to reduce the difference by investing £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. We consulted with national stakeholders including the NFU, CLA and TFA in advance of making these changes.