Select Committee · Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Soil Health

Status: Closed Opened: 7 Dec 2022 Closed: 23 May 2024 25 recommendations 11 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry is analysing the Government’s role in preventing further soil degradation and restoring soils across England, including through its Environmental Land Management Schemes and Soil Health Action Plan for England, expected in early 2023. To inform this inquiry, the EFRA Committee launched a farmer survey on soil health . The Committee wanted to hear …

Reports

1 report

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
First Report - Soil health	HC 245	5 Dec 2023	36	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items

32 Recommendation First Report - Soil health Not Addressed

Develop new funding systems for Environment Agency compliance monitoring and site visits.

More monitoring will mean that these agencies need to be fully resourced. In the case of the Environment Agency, where funding for monitoring usually comes via the Environmental Permitting regulations, the Department needs to come up with ways of driving up this funding. This could be achieved by putting more …

Government response. The government states it uses advice-led approaches and technology, such as earth observation, to enable more efficient inspections and targeted advice for soil damage prevention. However, the response does not address the specific recommendation to increase funding for agency monitoring …

33 Recommendation First Report - Soil health Not Addressed

Publish clear, resourced compliance monitoring regime by 2028 for farm visits.

The EA and the RPA should continue with the “supportive” approach to compliance monitoring. By the end of the agricultural transition in 2028, however, Defra and these institutions should publish a clear and transparent regime of comprehensive site visits and other actions that they will take to help farmers comply …

Government response. The government advocates for advice-led approaches and efficient inspections using earth observation technology to identify land management risks. However, the response does not commit to publishing a comprehensive regime of site visits by 2028, ensuring routine visits every few years, …

Oral evidence sessions

6 sessions

Date	Witnesses
18 Jul 2023	Fiona James · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rt Hon Mark Spencer · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Sion McGeever · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	View ↗
13 Jun 2023	Dr Eleanor Reed · Natural England, Professor John Gilliland OBE · Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Tony Grayling · Environment Agency	View ↗
24 May 2023	Dr Jane Gilbert, Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, Dr Martin Blackwell · Rothamsted Research, Helen Browning · Soil Association, Jenny Grant · Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA), John Williams · ADAS, Professor David Spurgeon · UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Professor Karen Johnson · Durham University	View ↗
9 May 2023	James Robinson · Nature Friendly Farming Network, James Woodward · Sustain Alliance, Professor Pippa Chapman · University of Leeds, Richard Bramley · National Farmers Union (NFU)	View ↗
3 May 2023	James Robinson · Nature Friendly Farming Network, Mr James Woodward · Sustain Alliance, Professor Pippa Chapman · University of Leeds, Richard Bramley · National Farmers Union (NFU)	View ↗
7 Mar 2023	Dr Jacqueline Hannam · British Society of Soil Science, Martin Ballard · Society for the Environment, Mr Graeme Willis · CPRE - The Countryside Charity, Mr Kyle Lischak · ClientEarth, Mr Matthew Orman · Sustainable Soils Alliance, Professor Bridget Emmett · UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology	View ↗

Correspondence

2 letters

Date	Direction	Title
21 May 2024	—	Correspondence from the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries relating to th…
23 Apr 2024	—	Correspondence to the Secretary of State regarding the Government's response to…