Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Changes to APR and BPR: Number of Farms Affected

Wednesday 12 March 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Farmers in Wales have received reassurances that the full 337 million budget will go directly to them.
  • Food security concerns have been raised in response to the Government's actions regarding APR and BPR changes.
  • Farmers can pass on up to 3 million to their children without paying inheritance tax under the current relief measures.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Cooper Con Dumfries and Galloway
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

John Cooper is concerned about changes to agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) in Wales, citing a series of agricultural roundtables conducted by the Scotland Office which suggest that the number of affected farms may be higher than estimated.

Question

Farmers across the UK have already been rocked by the changes to APR and BPR, and yesterday we had shock news that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will take no new sustainable farming incentive applications in England. What reassurances can the Minister give farmers in Wales that the sustainable farming scheme will be delivered in full and on time on 1 January next year?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Dame Nia Griffith)

As the hon. Gentleman knows, my good friend the Deputy First Minister of Wales has spent a lot of time talking to farmers. We have absolutely protected the budget for farmers, as have the Welsh Government, so the full £337 million will go directly to farmers, despite his colleagues in the Senedd trying to block it last week.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific reassurances regarding the sustainable farming scheme's implementation timeline or delivery details.

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Q2 Charlie Dewhirst Con Bridlington and The Wolds
Wales Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

Charlie Dewhirst questions the estimate of farms affected by changes to APR and BPR in Wales, referencing concerns about food security raised by farmer Stella Owen.

Question

The Government have said that they are concerned, as we all are, about our future security, so why is food security expendable in Wales and beyond? That is the message from farmer Stella Owen of the National Farmers Union Cymru, who has said that the Government’s actions are “destructive” and threaten the future of family farms across Wales. How many of those family farms is the Minister prepared to see go under before she and the Secretary of State step up and act in the interests of that key sector by helping the men and women who are livid, worried and fearing for their livelihoods?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Dame Nia Griffith)

As I am sure the shadow Secretary of State has been reminded many times, difficult decisions had to be made to fund our public services, but the changes still leave a significant amount of relief in place. Farming parents will typically be able to pass on up to £3 million to their children without paying any inheritance tax at all, and above that amount inheritance tax will be paid at a reduced effective rate of up to 20%, rather than the standard 40%. Estates have up to 10 years to pay any tax due, and it will be interest-free. Those terms are not available to others.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not address how many farms might fail as a result of the changes.

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