§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent measures she has taken to promote British farming. [8428]
§ Mr. MorleySince 1997 the Government have injected some £1.35 billion into the farming sector. We are promoting the modernisation of farming through key policy initiatives including the Action Plan for Farming, the England Rural Development Programme, and measures in the Rural White Paper. We are also now working on how to help the livestock sector move forward to a more secure future in the aftermath of the foot and mouth disease outbreak.
The independent Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food will give further impetus to this work.