Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 7
7
We are concerned that ELM will be too complex and bureaucratic, and will not cater...
Conclusion
We are concerned that ELM will be too complex and bureaucratic, and will not cater for the full range of farm types and circumstances. The Department has used a process of ‘co-design’ to develop the scheme, working closely with both stakeholders and a panel of farmers. Stakeholders describe feeling very engaged, but are concerned that the Department is confusing activity for progress in the scheme’s design. Even though the scheme is due to launch soon, organisations are struggling to support their members in understanding how they will be able to access the scheme and what provisions are being made for specific groups, such as tenant farmers. But farmers participating in the pilot report a lack of flexibility in the design of ELM, that they find the guidance very confusing, and that it is still not clear what they need to do to receive payment. There is a risk that small farmers will find any excessive bureaucracy especially challenging, so it is a particular concern that they are under-represented in the pilot. Only 30% of farms participating in the pilot are under 50 hectares compared to 61% of English farm businesses as a whole. Recommendation: The Department should urgently write to the Committee by the end of January 2022 to explain how it is using the current pilot of SFI to get feedback on the complexity of ELM, especially for smaller farm businesses and tenant farmers, and what changes it will make to alleviate any perceived complexity. Environmental Land Management Scheme 9 1 Progress in designing and introducing the scheme
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
7: PAC conclusion: We are concerned that ELM will be too complex and bureaucratic and will not cater for the full range of farm types and circumstances. 7: PAC recommendation: The Department should urgently write to the Committee by the end of January 2022 to explain how it is using the current pilot of SFI to get feedback on the complexity of ELM, especially for smaller farm businesses and tenant farmers, and what changes it will make to alleviate any perceived complexity. 7.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation Recommendation implemented 7.2 The government wrote to the Committee on the 27 January as requested. 7.3 The government is already designing the new schemes to be more straightforward, fair and attractive to farmers. 7.4 The government is actively learning from the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot and has already updated the standards and scheme rules for early rollout of the scheme based on that learning. In particular, the government has updated: • the rules of scheme agreement length and flexibility to make the scheme more accessible to tenant farmers, and • the standards to make them more straightforward and more practicable on farm Before rollout of the scheme, the government is: • simplifying scheme rules, guidance, and paperwork • implementing a new, more straightforward, and more rapid process to apply for the scheme, and • updating the terms and conditions of the scheme 31