Samuel Kurtz MS: Labour is taking our farmers for granted, on both sides of the M4

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“ON BOTH SIDES OF THE M4, LABOUR IS TAKING OUR FARMERS FOR GRANTED” – SAMUEL KURTZ MS   During Spokesperson’s Questions to Labour’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Samuel Kurtz MS, criticised the Welsh Labour Government and the UK Labour Government for their continued failure to support the agriculture sector and Wales’ farming communities.   With farmers in the dark and reluctant to build their hopes up regarding the rumoured partial U-turn on the Agricultural Property Relief tax (Family Farm Tax), Mr Kurtz said there is still no clarity from the Welsh Labour Government on its position regarding Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief. He argued that the Welsh Government has a duty to stand up for Welsh farmers and make strong representations to the UK Government on their behalf.   Mr Kurtz also raised concerns regarding the Government’s inability to tackle Bovine TB, ignoring the science and not using every tool available in the toolbox to eradicate this horrific disease. Additionally, the Nitrate Vulnerable Zone regulations, with today, 15th October, marking the start of the closed period for grassland under those rules, despite the dry weather, perfectly illustrating the absurdity of this “farming by calendar” approach. Both policies showcase Labour’s reliance on rigid rules and red tape that ignore evidence and science.   Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Samuel Kurtz MS, said:   “Welsh farmers are deeply anxious about the family farm tax. If recent rumours are true and the UK Government does indeed raise the threshold, Welsh farmers deserve to know what representations have been made on their behalf by this Welsh Labour Government.   “Farmers are not just struggling with the family farm tax. Bovine TB continues to devastate farms across Wales. If the Welsh Government is serious about tackling Bovine TB, it must guarantee funding and fair compensation, not more empty promises. And as with their ‘farming by calendar’ approach to NVZ rules, it’s time for evidence-based policymaking, not box-ticking.   “On both sides of the M4, Labour is taking our farmers for granted. Only the Welsh Conservatives have a credible plan for agriculture, by scrapping the SFS and replacing it with a scheme designed for farmers that has food security at its core and increasing the Agricultural budget by £100m over the next Senedd term, only Welsh Conservatives are standing up for our farmers in Wales.”   Video: Senedd TV

Transcript

00:00Questions now from the Sparty Party spokespeople, Conservative spokesperson Samuel Kurtz.

00:05Deputy First Minister, following the well-founded concerns in the agricultural industry over its future,

00:11there are now reports that the UK government may raise the inheritance tax threshold for farmers,

00:16but potentially at the cost of a cut to the DEFRA budget, possibly impacting agricultural funding here in Wales.

00:22However, Welsh farmers remain deeply anxious about the family farm tax.

00:26This chamber has heard distressing stories, including one farmer who stopped cancer treatment,

00:31hoping they die before the changes come into effect.

00:35And cases such as the Cornock family in Pembrokeshire, where Janet Cornock said,

00:40we simply do not have the cash flow to pay the substantial and unexpected tax bill

00:44when all of the value of our business is tied up in the farm and its assets.

00:49So while a possible U-turn from UK Labour may bring relief,

00:53we still don't know the Welsh government's stance on changes to agricultural property relief

00:58and business property relief.

00:59So Deputy First Minister, what is your position on the family farms tax?

01:04And will you publish all correspondence with the UK government

01:06so Welsh farmers can see what representations have been made on their behalf?

01:10Thank you, Sam, and I'm aware of the speculation in the media

01:15that seems to be rife at the moment on possible changes to proposals, but it is speculation.

01:21I have no greater insight into the Treasury's plans than any other member or citizen here does.

01:26The Treasury are notoriously tight-lipped on what they actually put out there.

01:31They'll do that when they get in about five or six weeks to the actual statement

01:35they'll bring forward on the floor of the House of Commons.

01:38But meanwhile, we do continue to support farmers through those challenges that you've rightly said,

01:43and I've met with many of the farmers who've expressed a range of pressures that are currently facing them.

01:50So we are providing through Farming Connect, facilitated family succession meetings,

01:55succession reviews to understand IHT implications as they're currently laid out,

02:01and also subsidised business and legal advice to develop succession plans.

02:05But we are also cognisant of the advice that has been provided through the farming unions as well.

02:12So rather than comment on speculation, let me just say for complete clarity,

02:16because I have said it before, Sam, as well,

02:18we've had several items of correspondence that we've been in touch with UK government on this issue with,

02:27and also have raised it repeatedly in inter-ministerial group discussions as well,

02:31and in bilaterals. And in our latest letter, which went off in September, if I recall correctly,

02:37it stressed the importance of the work that we're doing with the Sustainable Farming Scheme,

02:42focused on small-medium-scale family farms within Wales and the future viability of those,

02:47and that nothing should disrupt that,

02:49and also made clear that we'd want them to engage with some of the considered advice and information

02:56that was being put forward by not just the farming unions, but others more recently as well,

03:01that suggest with nuance in there could be adjustments made that could work.

03:05But it is a Treasury decision. It is a reserve decision.

03:08But we've made very clear, as I'm happy to do again, exactly what our position is here in Welsh Government.

03:13Well, you say that. This Welsh Government was quite happy to give opinions on reserved matters

03:19under a Conservative UK Government, yet we've not heard again today when given the opportunity

03:24what this Welsh Labour Government believes around the family farms tax.

03:28That would have been really welcome. Farmers watching this now will be left in the dark

03:31as to whether this Welsh Government has supported them in discussions with UK Treasury.

03:37Because linked to the wider challenges facing rural communities,

03:40there is still another cloud of bovine TB, which is cast over Welsh agriculture.

03:46Yet, I will give credit, there is some hope through the Pembrokeshire project,

03:50something which I helped launch, which participating farmers have strongly supported.

03:54We also have the Technical Advisory Group examining wider scientific evidence,

03:59and under new rules, IR cattle can only move under licence to slaughter or to approved finishing units,

04:05something that has been welcomed by the industry.

04:08But despite this, the number of cattle slaughtered in Wales remains painfully high,

04:13leaving many farmers trapped in ongoing restrictions.

04:17With the draft budget now before the Senedd, what discussions are you having with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance

04:23to guarantee, firstly, the long-term funding for the Pembrokeshire project

04:27and its sister project in North Wales, as well as ensuring adequate compensation

04:32for farmers required to cull their livestock due to bovine TB?

04:36Sam, thank you very much.

04:39Firstly, just to say, there is no lack of clarity from me on our approach to IHT, APR,

04:45and other tax implications for farms.

04:48We have actually made clear that things such as the CEN tax assessment

04:51and the CAAV assessment in particular have raised possible solutions

04:58to some of the concerns being raised that we've suggested that the Treasury should take into account

05:03in their assessment of the impact and that this should be addressed in a collaborative way with the Farming Union.

05:08So there's no lack of clarity on that.

05:11In terms of TB, thank you for your support for the Pembrokeshire project.

05:13There was some scepticism around this initially, whether this could work,

05:19but actually those farmers, as you know in your area who are involved in it,

05:23are quite evangelical about it in the way that it gives autonomy to the farmer

05:27where they're trusted on FarmVet to make decisions affecting their business

05:30and also the health and well-being of their herd as well.

05:33And that's why we have indeed now rolled out a version of it to North Wales on demand

05:38because people now are persuaded that this is the way forward.

05:41Now, what I've put forward in the budget that was laid by the Cabinet Secretary yesterday

05:46is again an attempt to have continuity across a range of issues,

05:50including animal health and welfare, as well as farm stability going forward.

05:54What I can't do is actually prophesy what the next government will actually do.

05:58We need to get beyond the budget of the Chancellor in the UK.

06:01We need to determine our own budget here, and we'll be looking for support, please,

06:05right across the Chamber for that budget, not just for farming,

06:08but for protection of public services as well.

06:12But, look, my commitment is there because we've rolled the scheme out further in Wales at cost.

06:17So we have faith in the scheme that this is one of the ways

06:21in which we can deliver improvements within TB.

06:24Thank you for that, Deputy First Minister.

06:26But speaking to those farmers taking part in the Pembrisha project,

06:29while they are evangelical, as you say, as to the role that they can play with their vets,

06:34they still believe that there is one arm tying behind their back in tackling this

06:38due to the reservoir of the disease within wildlife.

06:41But continuing on the theme of evidence-based policymaking,

06:45it's vital that we truly follow the science,

06:48and that must include the NVZ regulations.

06:51Because today, the 15th of October,

06:54marks the start of the close period for spreading on grassland under those rules,

06:58despite the dry weather,

07:01perfectly illustrating the absurdity of a farming-by-calendar approach.

07:06Dr. Susanna Bolton's review was a welcome step forward,

07:09but it largely confirmed what farmers have said from the beginning,

07:14that the current system simply doesn't work in practice.

07:17We all know this.

07:19We've said it since the very beginning.

07:20So, with fewer than seven months until the next Senedd election,

07:24will you act now to enable those recommendations to become true,

07:29or will Welsh farmers have to wait until the next Welsh Government

07:33to deliver the practical reforms needed to support agriculture?

07:38Thank you, Sam, for that question.

07:39It's a really important question,

07:41and in case anybody is cutting and clipping these pieces for social media

07:44and for complete clarity, Clareworth,

07:46we are setting up the Task and Finish Group

07:50to take forward those recommendations.

07:52Dr. Susanna Bolton produced her work in March.

07:55We've been landing the SFS and other issues since then.

07:59But we've been working over the summer, actually,

08:01doing some of the preparatory work to take forward these recommendations.

08:04We've made clear, as Welsh Government,

08:06in the statement that I recently published,

08:08sorry, published earlier this year,

08:10that we would accept and take forward all the recommendations,

08:13and we would take forward those recommendations at pace,

08:15and we would do it with all stakeholders involved.

08:19So the Task and Finish Group is underway.

08:20Preparatory work has already been done.

08:22I'm hoping to bring forward some additional news

08:25once we have the group established,

08:26and we've got the terms of reference as well,

08:28to say something further to the Senate at that point.

08:31But can I just be clear in terms of the closed period?

08:33Because there is some...

08:34Susanna Bolton does rightly say there is some scope here

08:37to look at alternative ways forward.

08:39But she also says that as we currently stand,

08:42you should definitely not take away what's currently in place

08:45until you have evidence-based approaches for alternative ways forward.

08:48And she is right in saying that.

08:50So this does cause difficulty currently for some farmers.

08:54We're keen to work through that in the autumn and winter ahead.

08:57But actually, she also makes clear

08:59that if we go to alternative solutions,

09:02then they may be more complex.

09:04They may be more challenging to explain.

09:06But I'm willing to take that on.

09:08Because I think the potential for seeing other ways forward,

09:12if we can evidence them, is well worth taking forward.

09:16So we're taking it forward, Sam.

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