Agriculture and Food
The question
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the adequacy of support available for farmers and food producers.
Answered by James Murray
HMT Ministers have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment Food, and Rural Affairs. Food security is national security and our commitment to farmers is steadfast. That is why, despite the fiscal constraints, we have prioritised £5 billion for the farming budget over the next two years. This includes the largest ever amount of funding directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history, and £60m to support farmers with the impacts of extreme wet weather.
At the Oxford Farming Conference, the Secretary of State set out the government’s long-term vision to make farming more profitable and put more money in the pockets of British farmers. This includes a set of reforms such as using the government’s purchasing power to buy British Food, planning reforms to speed up the delivery of farm buildings and other infrastructure which supports food production, and work to ensure supply chain fairness.
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