Tag: agriculture

Bishop of Hereford tables question on effects of agricultural policy on small farms

The Bishop of Hereford tabled a question on ensuring that agricultural policies improve the profitability and long-term viability of small farming enterprises on 1st December 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that agricultural policies improve the profitability and long-term viability of small farming enterprises.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about environmental risk of pesticides

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 5th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the environmental risk of pesticides used in flea and tick treatments; and what plans they have to restrict their use.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about changes to agricultural property relief

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 18th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government how many conversations the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had with farming sector representatives about changes to agricultural property relief prior to the change being announced.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about flood protection on agricultural land

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on protection of agricultural land from flooding on 12th December 2024, during a discussion on the government’s new planning reforms:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I welcome many of the announcements from the Government today in the NPPF, especially on flooding-risk policy. However, I am concerned about the protection of agricultural land, not least around the vital need to keep the highest levels of food security in this country. Therefore, why was the decision made not to include in the NPPF explicit protection of the best and most versatile land?

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about agricultural property relief

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 12th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • whether they plan to review their analysis, including assumptions, which informed their decision to reduce agricultural property relief for inheritance tax.
  • what consideration they have given to tapering or staggering the reduction of agricultural property relief for inheritance tax to give farmers time to put their tax affairs in order.
  • what assessment they have made of the analysis by the National Farmers’ Union that figures from the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs indicate that 66 per cent of farms will be affected by the proposed changes to agricultural property relief; and what is the reason for the difference between this figure and the Treasury’s calculation that 28 per cent of farms will be affected.
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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about effects of changes to inheritance tax and financing on agriculture

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 10th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • what consultation they undertook with the farming sector prior to the proposal to change agricultural property relief.
  • whether they intend to publish the evidence used to inform their decision to change agricultural property relief, and their reasoning.
  • what assessment they have made of the impact that the change to agricultural property relief will have on (1) investment in new technology for existing farming businesses, (2) food supply to the market should existing farmers leave the sector, and (3) encouraging new entrants and young farmers to start farming.
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Bishop of Norwich asks about effects of inheritance tax on farmers

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answers on 25th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Budget’s changes to agricultural property relief from inheritance tax on nature conservation on small farms.

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Kings Speech Debate: Bishop of St Albans speaks on rural and environmental concerns

On 18th July 2024, the Bishop of St Albans gave a speech on issues affecting rural communities during the debate on the Kings Speech, also welcoming the new government’s plans to fight pollution in waterways:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I declare my interest as president of the Rural Coalition and add my congratulations to the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman of Ullock, on her new role.

As a long-term advocate for rural areas and the people who live and work in them, I know that our farmers and rural communities are uniquely placed to deliver the Government’s missions of clean energy, increased building and the need to protect and restore our environment. Rural communities and rural businesses play an absolutely crucial role in the economic and social fabric of our country.

I welcome His Majesty’s Government’s plans to introduce measures to tackle pollution in our rivers, lakes and waterways. In my diocese of St Albans, covering Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, we are home to several of this country’s beautiful chalk streams, which, despite being extraordinarily rare and precious habitats, have been utterly devastated by both extraction and pollution. For example, the River Ver in Hertfordshire has been found to have six times higher levels of E. coli than is acceptable in bathing water. Between March and June this year, sewage was discharged directly into the River Ver for more than 2,400 hours.

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Bishop of Lincoln raises issues of job retention and carbon emissions during debate on food imports and exports

The Bishop of Lincoln spoke in a debate on import and export of food and agricultural products from the EU on 2nd May 2024, raising examples from his diocese and the issue of carbon prodigality in imports:

The Lord Bishop of Lincoln: My Lords, I am grateful for this time to say two things about Lincolnshire. One is that 24% of jobs there depend on the food chain, so are deeply impacted by our import and export arrangements. One of the things that has been brought to my attention is that the Grimsby Fish Dock receives its fish from Iceland over the weekend, for auction and distribution on Monday and Tuesday. Will there be enough environmental health officers on duty over the weekend to ensure that these auctions and distribution can take place under these new rules?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about sustainable farming and countryside stewardship programmes

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 29th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government:

  •  when they will publish further information on the combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer.
  • when farmers will be able to apply for the new combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer.
  • when guidance for the Sustainable Farming Incentive online application portal will be set out.
  •  when farmers in existing Higher Level Stewardship, Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements can transfer to the new offer.
  • when the new Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship actions can be added to areas already in the Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement, particularly in upland areas where the HLS agreement has a linked Upland Entry Level Stewardship agreement.
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