Recommendations & Conclusions
18 items
1
Conclusion
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Accepted
Ministers have taken on responsibility for farming policy in difficult economic and geopolitical circumstances, and we welcome their strong commitments to back British produce, protect farmers in trade deals and improve fairness in the food supply chain. We welcome the increased scrutiny of farming policy in Parliament, and we are …
Government response. The government acknowledges the need for a clear vision and confirms Defra is actively developing the 25-year Farming Roadmap, which will set the direction for the farming sector and aims to publish it later this year.
2
Conclusion
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Acknowledged
The Government has made several significant farming policy announcements or sector interventions since the election. This is an impressive list of initiatives that the Defra Secretary has recognised should be part of an ‘interlocking jigsaw’. We are concerned, however, that certain high-profile policies have been announced prior to the completion …
Government response. The government commits to considering the Committee’s analysis and recommendations when developing plans for the reformed SFI offer, with more information expected later this summer. The response also details past and present management of the SFI scheme, including its closure …
3
Conclusion
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Accepted
Farms are professional businesses and remain adaptable to change, but they must plan for changes well in advance with confidence about the future environment they will be operating in. We have concerns that the Department has not yet demonstrated that it is sufficiently alive to the urgency of setting out …
Government response. The government committed to providing more information on the reformed SFI offer later this summer, outlining its core vision and budget controls. It also appointed Baroness Minette Batters to lead a review of farming profitability, supported by a new team.
4
Recommendation
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Deferred
The Government should urgently set out its vision for the farming sector, achieving food security and the future of the Farming and Countryside Programme in its proposed 25-year Farming Roadmap, and in advance of making significant major changes to farming policy and support mechanisms. The 25-year Farming Roadmap should bring …
Government response. The government's response discusses inheritance tax reforms and agricultural property relief, which is unrelated to the recommendation for a vision for the farming sector or the 25-year Farming Roadmap, thus deflecting from the original request.
5
Conclusion
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Accepted
Farmers and the rural community are fundamental to delivering the Government’s plan for change. They provide high quality, nutritious food, deliver environmental goods and maintain landscapes for us all to enjoy. The Government has an exciting opportunity to shape the future of farming as we transition from legacy payments, and …
Government response. The government reopened the Capital Grants offer on 3 July 2025, making £150 million available for farmers to invest in equipment and services. It also committed to ensuring the 25-year Farming Roadmap reflects stakeholder views through continued engagement.
6
Recommendation
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Acknowledged
A transparent policy on the direction of the Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS) and other subsidy arrangements is crucial. If the Government is serious about improving ELMS outcomes it must consult with stakeholders and communicate its plan clearly. Confidence in the schemes must be urgently repaired to secure their future …
Government response. The government acknowledged the need for a transparent ELMS policy and clearer communication, stating they will continue to provide details on schemes and evaluate communications using an established framework.
7
Conclusion
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Acknowledged
An alternative funding mechanism should be put in place to fill the gap in funding for those who missed out on the SFI24, no later than September
Government response. The government's response did not address the specific recommendation for an alternative funding mechanism for SFI24. It broadly acknowledged the importance of parliamentary scrutiny and stated it will continue to take recommendations into account in future work.
8
Recommendation
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Deferred
The Government should set out what the next iteration of SFI will look like and the date it will be open for applications in the response to this report. It must also state how it intends to increase farm profitability, using a sector-by-sector approach, no later than October 2025. (Recommendation, …
Government response. The government defers providing full details on the next SFI iteration and its application date, committing to more information later this summer. It also defers stating how it will increase farm profitability by announcing a new review of farming profitability, …
9
Conclusion
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Acknowledged
We support the Government’s objective of reforming Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) to close the loophole that encourages wealthy investors to buy agricultural land to avoid inheritance tax. We recognise longstanding concerns that these reliefs are being used by individuals to shelter wealth and are affecting …
Government response. The government acknowledged the committee's support for the reforms to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, confirming that the changes will take effect from April 2026 as previously announced.
10
Conclusion
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Acknowledged
We are concerned, however, that no consultation, impact assessment, or affordability assessment was conducted before the announcement of the reforms. The lack of proper evaluation of the impact of these changes means that the scale and nature of its impact on family farms, land values, tenant farmers, food security and …
Government response. The government acknowledged the committee's concerns regarding the lack of consultation and impact assessment prior to the reforms, but reiterated that the changes to agricultural and business property relief will take effect from April 2026, referencing previous engagement with stakeholders …
11
Recommendation
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Rejected
Several alternatives to achieve the same goals, or mitigations to protect vulnerable farmers, have been proposed. We are not in a position to assess the merits of each and propose an alternative, but there is sufficient time between now and the 2026 Finance Bill for Government to consult on the …
Government response. The government rejected the recommendation for further consultation on alternative proposals, stating that the reforms to agricultural and business property relief will proceed from April 2026 as planned, and that sufficient engagement with stakeholders has already taken place.
12
Recommendation
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Rejected
Stakeholder concerns around the Budget’s taxation proposals have made it difficult for the Government to articulate and deliver its wider vision for agriculture. It has also strained the relationships with those who will be responsible for helping to deliver that vision. A pause in the implementation of taxation reforms would …
Government response. The government rejected the recommendation to pause taxation reforms, affirming that the changes to agricultural and business property relief will take effect from April 2026 as planned, stating the approach and timescale are appropriate after listening to stakeholders.
13
Recommendation
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Rejected
The Government should delay announcing its final APR and BPR reforms until October 2026, to come into effect in April 2027, to provide more time for farming businesses to conduct succession planning and seek appropriate professional advice. The Government should use this time to consult on its proposed changes, conduct …
Government response. The government rejects delaying APR and BPR reforms, confirming they will take effect from April 2026 as announced in Autumn Budget 2024, citing the need to repair public finances and stating that its consultation and approach are appropriate.
14
Recommendation
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Acknowledged
The experience of the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2024 (SFI24) closure follows a pattern within Defra of poor communication and last-minute decision-making following rumours and Departmental leaks. As with the sudden closure of the Capital Grants scheme in November 2024, the end of SFI24 came with no specific warning, despite the …
Government response. The government acknowledged the committee's concerns regarding the closure of the Capital Grants scheme without notice, stating that all communications are evaluated using the Government Communications Service Evaluation Cycle. However, they only committed to aim to give reasonable notice for …
15
Recommendation
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Acknowledged
We are thankful to the Secretary of State, Ministers and Officials for engaging with our Committee, but we urge Defra to improve its communication with Parliament and be proactive and transparent in its communications. Similarly, communications between Defra and its arm’s-length bodies are lacking and must be improved. (Conclusion, Paragraph …
Government response. The government agreed on the importance of parliamentary scrutiny and committed to ongoing work to improve parliamentary capability, outlining existing protocols for information sharing within Defra and with arm's-length bodies and committing to regularly review communication protocols.
16
Recommendation
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Accepted
The Government should review how it communicates with the farming sector and properly evaluate the impact recent communications have had on trust in the Department. It should provide its analysis and proposed solutions in its response to this report. (Recommendation, Paragraph 61) 34
Government response. The government acknowledged concerns about communication and trust, stating that all communications with the farming sector are already evaluated using the Government Communications Service Evaluation Cycle. However, it did not provide specific analysis or proposed solutions within this report as …
17
Recommendation
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Acknowledged
Defra should ensure that operational and policy decisions are clearly communicated to its arm’s-length bodies and the farming advice service in advance of them being made public. It should investigate the causes of the leaks of its proposed changes to the Capital Grants and SFI schemes and put protocols in …
Government response. The government outlined its existing protocols for sharing sensitive information with arm's-length bodies and the Farming Advice Service in advance of public announcements, stating they regularly review these communication protocols. However, it did not commit to investigating the causes of …
18
Recommendation
1st Report - The Government’s vision fo…
Accepted
Defra must improve its communications with Parliament and ensure that statements regarding policy are made in the House and subject to voluntary and proper scrutiny. Defra should affirm its commitment to doing so in its response to this report. (Recommendation, Paragraph 63) 35
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation, affirming its commitment to parliamentary scrutiny and stating that work is underway across the Department to improve parliamentary capability, especially concerning written Parliamentary Questions.