Following the Government response to the Urgent Question on DEFRA’s sudden decision to stop the sustainable farming incentive, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown questions the decision, which was made with no notice and no consultation, and asks the Minister to outline plans for a replacement.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (North Cotswolds) (Con)
The announcement was sneaked out with no notice last night. If the Minister knows anything about farming, he will know that it takes months, if not years, to plan. Farmers had no notice of this. Will he tell us what will replace the SFI, when he will consult, and when it is likely to come into operation?
The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs (Daniel Zeichner)
Over the next few months, through the spending review, we will review how we can improve the scheme to avoid the very point that the hon. Gentleman has just made, and I will report back to the House later in the summer.