Swann calls for clarity and honesty on Farming Inheritance Tax and Farm Support Payments

During yesterday’s (Monday) debate on rural affairs, Mr Swann MP raised with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs the issues of inheritance tax on family farms and the decision to make farm support payments part of the Barnett consequential rather than as a ring-fenced fund.

He highlighted in the debate that as a past president of the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster and former director of Rural Support, he has seen the devasting impact disease such as bird and swine flu, as well as TB, can have on small farms, but added: “I have never encountered so many farmers in Northern Ireland being as low as they are this minute, due to the farm family inheritance tax put on them by this Government in this place. They are so angry about what is happening.”

Mr Swann shared recent statistics from Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture which show the wide-reaching impact of this decision.

“The Secretary of State talked about not listening to the fury, or the alarming headlines, but a third of farms in Northern Ireland will be affected. Some 75% of our local dairy sector farms will be affected. Those on the Government Front Bench say, “No, they will not”, but that is the assessment of the Agriculture Minister in the devolved Assembly in Northern Ireland. It is also the assessment of the Ulster Farmers’ Union.

“I encourage the Government Front Benchers to engage with the devolved Administrations, because if our Agriculture Minister in Northern Ireland is causing alarm and raising headlines that are not accurate, it is up to this Government to correct that. That is the impact, and the feedback that I am receiving from farms, farm families and our Agriculture Minister in the devolved Assembly in Northern Ireland,” added Mr Swann.

On the devolved farming payments now becoming a Barnett consequential for Northern Ireland, Mr Swann asked for clarity from the UK Government: “I would love clarity from Treasury or DEFRA Ministers on who asked for that, because it was not Northern Ireland. It sounds as if it was not Wales, so why was that change made to how agricultural support goes to our devolved Administrations? On whose advice and guidance was that change made? What engagement did the Treasury or the Government have with the devolved institutions prior to making it?”