Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 22
22
The Department acknowledged that without the detail of plans, its confidence in the scheme could...
Conclusion
The Department acknowledged that without the detail of plans, its confidence in the scheme could appear to be “just blind optimism as far as farmers are concerned”.63 Since then, the Department has published further information on how the Sustainable Farming Incentive will work in 2022, including payment rates for the first phase.64 The Department also explained that, while it thought the confidence of the sector will increase as more detail is released, the greatest impact will occur when farmers see schemes working and 58 Qq 61, 118 59 C&AG’s report para 3.10 60 Qq 9–10 61 Qq 11, 16 62 Q 87 63 Q 62 64 Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Sustainable Farming Incentive: how the scheme will work in 2022, 2 December 2021 18 Environmental Land Management Scheme payments happening on time. The Department also told us that it will publish additional information about SFI22 in November, and that information on the standards being offered in SFI for 2023 and 2024 will be published early next year, which is late in the day to give farmers sufficient lead-in time to change their systems.65
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
5.2 The government is in the first year of the transition, so it is to be expected that there is still more to do to build trust and confidence in the reforms, much of which will come only when the government successfully launch new schemes, and those schemes work effectively for farmers. 5.3 The government has started that process, since the Committee took evidence in October 2021, including successfully launching a resilience scheme, two rounds of the Farming Investment Fund which has been significantly over-subscribed, and the Sustainable Farming Incentive Pilot where the government attracted its target level of participation with 938 farmers applying to take part with a good a range of geography, farm types, ownership/tenancy and farm sizes. 5.4 The government agrees with the Committee that it is important to build trust in the reforms and that is why the government is investing significant effort in co-designing new schemes with farmers, engaging with the sector, and communicating with them about the changes that are coming, as well as improving operational performance and making inspections and controls fairer and more proportionate. The government will continue and extend these activities throughout 2022 and beyond. 5.5 Since the launch of Agricultural Transition Plan in 2020, the government has embarked on a significant stakeholder engagement and communications approach to the sector. 5.6 The government is engaging much more closely with a wider group of stakeholders and routinely using a multi-channel communications approach to reach farmers through digital and non-digital channels, including through trusted intermediaries as well as directly and through farming media, as the government rolls out new policies. 5.7 The government strategy is working in terms of raising awareness of and building trust in the changes, as seen with early take up of the government productivity grants and Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pilot, and a 40% increase in applications for Countryside Stewardship agreements between 2021 and 2022. 5.8 However, the government recognises that there is more to do. As the government rolls out the new schemes and progresses through the transition, it will need to continue to communicate widely and effectively, including more direct communications with farmers to