Agriculture & Rural Economy
Commons business tagged with this topic — 11 items.
Upcoming (4)
- Oral questionsThu, 4 Jun 2026— Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (including Topical Questions)
MPs will question the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary on departmental priorities and current issues affecting farming, food security, and environmental policy. Topical questions allow backbenchers to raise urgent, time-sensitive matters without prior notice, so the agenda will depend on what MPs choose to ask on the day—likely covering rural livelihoods, agricultural support post-Brexit, food prices, or environmental regulation.
- Private Members' BillsFri, 29 May 2026
Marine Protected Areas (Bottom Trawling) (England) Bill: Second Reading
This Private Members' Bill would restrict bottom trawling—a fishing method that drags heavy nets across the seabed—in marine protected areas (MPAs) around England. The bill seeks to strengthen environmental protections in designated waters by banning a practice that damages seabed habitats, fish nurseries, and marine biodiversity. It will be debated at second reading, where MPs will decide whether the principle merits further scrutiny.
- Oral evidenceTue, 19 May 2026
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee: Fairness in the food supply chain
A private meeting of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. The committee will discuss matters within its remit, which covers environmental policy, food systems, and rural affairs. As a private session, the specific agenda items are not publicly listed, but the committee typically scrutinises government policy on farming, land use, water, pesticides, animal welfare, and rural economic development.
- Oral evidenceTue, 19 May 2026
Science, Innovation and Technology Committee: Innovation and global food security
The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee will hear oral evidence on how innovation can help secure global food supplies. The inquiry examines the role of new technologies—such as precision agriculture, plant breeding, and digital farming systems—in boosting crop yields, reducing waste, and building resilience to climate shocks. The focus is whether UK research and industry can lead in developing and exporting these solutions.
Past (7)
- Oral questionsThu, 7 May 2026— Environment, Food and Rural AffairsCancelled
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (including Topical Questions)
This is a scheduled question time session for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), where MPs can pose oral questions to government ministers on environmental policy, food standards, and rural affairs. The session includes topical questions allowing MPs to raise urgent, timely issues. This is a regular accountability mechanism for scrutinising the government's environmental and agricultural strategy.
- Westminster Hall debateWed, 29 Apr 2026
Government support for agriculture
This Westminster Hall debate will examine government support for agriculture, likely covering farm funding, subsidies, and rural economic policy. Richard Foord (Lib Dem MP for Honiton and Sidmouth) is raising concerns about how the Labour government is supporting the farming sector, which faces ongoing challenges around profitability, workforce, and post-Brexit trade conditions.
- Oral evidenceTue, 28 Apr 2026
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee: Work of the Department and its arm’s-length bodies
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee will hold an oral evidence session examining the work and performance of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and its arm's-length bodies. This is a routine parliamentary accountability exercise where MPs scrutinise how the department is delivering its policy objectives across environmental protection, farming, food systems, and rural development.
- Westminster Hall debateTue, 21 Apr 2026
Windfarm development on protected peatland
A Westminster Hall debate on windfarm development proposals on protected peatland, sponsored by Conservative MP Robbie Moore. The debate examines the tension between renewable energy expansion and environmental protection, specifically concerning whether windfarm projects should be permitted on ecologically sensitive peatland sites.
- Oral evidenceTue, 21 Apr 2026
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee: Fairness in the food supply chain
A private meeting of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee scheduled for April 2026. As a select committee meeting, this will likely involve scrutiny of government policy, departmental performance, or specific issues affecting the environment, farming, and rural sectors. The agenda and specific discussion topics are not publicly detailed in this notice.
- Oral evidenceTue, 14 Apr 2026
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee: Reforming the water sector
A private meeting of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee scheduled for April 2026. This is an internal committee session, likely for planning, evidence review, or discussion of upcoming inquiries into environmental policy, agricultural issues, or rural affairs without public proceedings.
- Select Committee StatementThu, 26 Mar 2026
Sixth report of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Erosion of trust: the impact of coastal erosion on communities, HC 1317
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is presenting its sixth report examining coastal erosion and its impact on affected communities. The report, titled 'Erosion of trust', investigates how coastal erosion affects residents, local economies, and public confidence in government support, with particular focus on the pressures facing coastal regions and the adequacy of current protective measures and community support.