Written questions by Whately.

How many people have made a (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful application for Pension Credit in each Parliamentary constituency since 1 April 2024; and how many people are awaiting a decision on their claim in each constituency.

Statistics on Pension Credit application volumes were published on 28 November 2024. This includes numbers of applications that were awarded and not awarded, up to 17 November 2024. Pension Credit applications and awards: November 2024 - GOV.UKWe do not currently hold this information at constituency level.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to agricultural property relief in the Autumn Budget 2024 on the sustainability of domestic food production.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected in 2026-27 by the changes to APR and BPR, with around half of those being claims that involve AIM shares. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (or those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) are expected to be unaffected by these reforms. The UK has robust domestic production, and these reforms will only affect a small number of estates. The small number of landowners affected will not necessarily need to sell the land and, if they choose to, then it does not necessarily mean the land would stop being used for food production. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced the largest ever investment in sustainable food production in England. In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

What steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to help ensure the generational continuity of agricultural businesses.

The Government is committing the largest ever proportion of the £5 billion farming budget across this year and next to sustainable food production in our history. It is expected that up to 520 estates claiming agricultural property relief (APR), or APR and business property relief (BPR) together, will be affected in 2026-27 by the changes to APR and BPR. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming APR (or those claiming APR and BPR together) are expected to be unaffected by these reforms. The Government published information about the reforms to APR and BPR at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to (a) agricultural and (b) business property relief in the Autumn Budget on family-owned farms in (a) Kent and (b) Faversham and Mid Kent constituency.

I refer the Honourable Member to the PQ referenced 12250 published on 11th November 2024 at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-11-01/12250. The Chancellor also recently wrote to the Chair of the Treasury Select Committee on this issue, and her letter may be of interest: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45691/documents/226235/default/.

What case studies she has used to calculate the financial impact of proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief.

The tax base consists of all estates subject to Inheritance Tax that are projected to claim Agricultural Property Relief or Business Property Relief across the scorecard period. The tax base is estimated using HMRC administrative data, and is grown over the forecast in line with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecast for IHT receipts. More information is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6721d2c54da1c0d41942a8d2/Policy_Costing_Document_-_Autumn_Budget_2024.pdf

What guidance she plans to issue to small business farmers who wish to keep an inherited family farm.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected in 2026-27 by the changes to APR and BPR, with around half of those being claims that involve AIM shares. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (or those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) are expected to be unaffected by these reforms. The UK has robust domestic production, and these reforms will only affect a small number of estates. The small number of landowners affected will not necessarily need to sell the land and, if they choose to, then it does not necessarily mean the land would stop being used for food production. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced the largest ever investment in sustainable food production in England. In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an estimate of the number of farmers who will exit the sector as a result of the change to agricultural property relief in the Autumn Budget.

From 6 April 2026, the full 100% relief from inheritance tax will be restricted to the first £1 million of combined agricultural and business property. Above this amount, landowners will access 50% relief from inheritance tax and will pay inheritance tax at a reduced effective rate up to 20%, rather than the standard 40%. This tax can be paid in instalments over 10 years interest free, rather than immediately, as with other types of inheritance tax. This is on top of all the other spousal exemptions and nil-rate bands that people can access for inheritance tax too. This means that two people with farmland, depending on their circumstances, can pass on up to £3 million without paying any inheritance tax. This is an assumption based on the £1 million limit and nil-rate bands and does not take into consideration the specific circumstances that may affect the tax calculation. Furthermore, if land is transferred 7 years before death, farmers pay no inheritance tax at all. Data from HMRC and supported by the independent Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) indicates that around 500 estates a year will be impacted. The majority of those will be able to adapt their businesses. The exact number will depend on a wider range of factors based on their individual circumstances. With 73% of claims being for less than £1 million, the majority of estates will be unaffected, and they will be able to pass the family farm down to their children just as previous generations have always done. This is a fair and balanced approach that protects the family farm while also fixing the public services that we all rely on.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the economic contribution of farming to (a) Kent and (b) Faversham and Mid Kent constituency.

In 2023, total income from farming for Kent was £187.76 million. Total income from farming for each of the five Kent ITL3 regions was £5.16 million for Medway; £52.72 million for Kent Thames Gateway; £35.15 million for East Kent; £54.52 million for Mid Kent; and £40.21 million for West Kent. Regional estimates of total income from farming are produced at international territorial levels (ITL) 1, 2 and 3, with ITL3 being the most granular geographical breakdown. As such, the specific breakdown requested for part b) of the question is not available.

How many farms were subject to inheritance tax in Faversham and Mid Kent constituency in the (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21 and (c) 2021-22 financial year.

Inheritance Tax is a tax on the estate (the property, money and possessions) of someone who’s died. Farmland and farming assets are not the unit of taxation, although some taxpaying estates may contain farmland and farming assets. Information about how many estates overall in the Faversham and Mid Kent constituency were estimated to be subject to Inheritance Tax in 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 are published online in HMRC’s Inheritance Tax liabilities statistics, in Table 12.9: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/inheritance-tax-liabilities-statistics.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the changes to inheritance tax on the financial viability of small family farms in (a) Kent and (b) Faversham and Mid Kent constituency.

Assessing the impact of the new Inheritance Tax policy, which comes into force from 6 April 2026, relies on a number of factors such as ownership structure and debt levels. Without such information, which the Government does not hold at that level, area level assessments cannot be made. This Government is aware that each farm is different, and so we encourage farmers to speak to their tax advisors and agents to understand how these changes may impact their specific situation and how to plan for the future. As an outcome of the recent Spending Review, we have also committed £5 billion in the agricultural budget over the next two years – the biggest ever budget for sustainable food production and nature recovery in this country’s history. This enables us to keep momentum on the path to a more resilient and sustainable farming sector.

Communities and Local Government, how she plans to report on the effectiveness of her safeguarding of the Best and Most Versatile agricultural land in line with the National Planning Policy Framework.

This Government places great importance on the value of our agricultural land. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out how the best and most versatile agricultural land should be reflected in planning policies and decisions. The Framework is clear that where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality. How this is applied is a matter for local planning authorities in the first instance, through their plans and decisions.

If she will make an estimate of the potential impact of the £240 million funding allocated to her Department in the Autumn Budget 2024 for trialling new ways of getting people back into work on savings to the public purse in each of the next five years.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 17010 on 5th December 2024, for the details of how we have allocated the £240 million funding across the White Paper measures.We are working with trailblazers to create their local plans and we are developing an evaluation strategy to measure impacts, including savings to ensure we make the most effective interventions to get Britain working.

What the differences are between the (a) Connect to Work and (b) Universal support schemes.

Connect to Work will use the funding that was initially reserved for the Universal Support Programme. There are aspects of Connect to Work that have similarities with that previously announced programme, such as it being an evidence-based Supported Employment programme targeted at economically inactive disabled people, those with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment. This is to help ensure that we keep the positive impacts that the Office for Budget Responsibility scored for Universal Support. Connect to Work, however, has been co-designed with Local Authorities and has flexibility to meet local needs at its core.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to safeguard the Best and Most Versatile agricultural land.

This Government places great importance on the value of our agricultural land. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out how the best and most versatile agricultural land should be reflected in planning policies and decisions. The Framework is clear that where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality. How this is applied is a matter for local planning authorities in the first instance, through their plans and decisions.

Communities and Local Government, how the commitment to safeguard the Best and Most Versatile agricultural land is applied to planning decisions.

This Government places great importance on the value of our agricultural land. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out how the best and most versatile agricultural land should be reflected in planning policies and decisions. The Framework is clear that where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality. How this is applied is a matter for local planning authorities in the first instance, through their plans and decisions.

Communities and Local Government, if she will publish how many hectares of the Best and Most Versatile agricultural land are (a) protected, (b) under consideration for development and (c) approved for consent in each (i) local authority area and (ii) constituency.

The information requested is not held by the Department.

Communities and Local Government, how safeguarding the Best and Most Versatile agricultural land will be taken into account when she considers the Highsted Park development.

Call-in decisions are inherently about process and not the merits of any given planning application.I refer the hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 26 March 2019 (HCWS1452), and on 26 October 2012, columns 71WS-72WS.All relevant matters relating to the Highsted Park development will now be considered via a public inquiry.

Communities and Local Government, what criteria she uses to call in planning applications before they are discussed by local councillors.

Call-in decisions are inherently about process and not the merits of any given planning application.I refer the hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 26 March 2019 (HCWS1452), and on 26 October 2012, columns 71WS-72WS.All relevant matters relating to the Highsted Park development will now be considered via a public inquiry.

Communities and Local Government, for what reason she called in Highsted Park outline planning applications 21/503906/EIOUT and 21/503914/EIOUT.

Call-in decisions are inherently about process and not the merits of any given planning application.I refer the hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 26 March 2019 (HCWS1452), and on 26 October 2012, columns 71WS-72WS.All relevant matters relating to the Highsted Park development will now be considered via a public inquiry.

With reference to his Department’s Get Britain Working White Paper published on 26 November 2024, whether the 140,000 places for Individual Placement and Support for severe mental illness are in addition to the those announced in the Autumn Statement 2023.

The Government inherited a £22 billion blackhole in the nation’s finances which has required tough choices around spending priorities. Despite this bleak financial backdrop, we were determined to identify the funding required to support local Individual Placement Support schemes. The White Paper confirms the Government’s commitment to expand the number of places on these schemes, to help thousands more people with severe mental illness find and stay in employment.