§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the agendas and minutes for meetings of the cross-departmental working group in fiscal arrangements for farm tenancies. [73912]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Department does not routinely publish minutes of cross departmental meetings such as those held to discuss fiscal measures affecting farm tenancies. Any requests for the release of this information will be dealt with in accordance with the Government's Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (Second Edition, 1997) and the Freedom of Information Act when it comes into force.
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the cross-departmental working group on fiscal arrangements for farm tenancies has been established. [73911]
577W
§ Mr. MorleyTax is a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer and all parts of the tax system are kept under review as part of the Budget process. Cross departmental discussions on the tenancy related fiscal measures mentioned in the Policy Commission report on the Future of Farming and Food and the Plymouth University Report on the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 have taken place. Further discussions will take place as appropriate prior to the publication of the Government's strategy for sustainable food and farming in the autumn, which will include a full response to the Policy Commission recommendations.
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress is being made to allow farm tenants greater flexibility to diversify their income-earning activities on farms that they rent. [73910]
§ Mr. MorleyThe report of the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food recommends that Defra should revisit the definition of agriculture used in tenancy legislation and suggests a broader definition might remove a potential obstacle to business development. The Government is keen to ensure that the legislative framework governing farm tenancy arrangements does not act as a barrier to tenant farmer participation in diversification activities. We are therefore considering this recommendation carefully and the conclusions reached will be made known in the autumn when the Government publishes its strategy for sustainable food and farming, incorporating a response to the Policy Commission's recommendations.
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress is being made in addressing issues relating to the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995, with particular reference to section 4 of that Act. [74047]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Plymouth University Report on the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 made a number of recommendations involving section 4 of the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995. These recommendations are currently being considered in parallel with the tenancy related recommendations made by the Policy Commission on the Future of Food and Farming. The Government's approach to the recommendations made in both reports will be clarified when the strategy for sustainable food and farming, incorporating the response to the Policy Commission's recommendations is published in the Autumn.