Farron uses DEFRA questions to call on the government to provide more support to tenant farmers

South Lakes MP, Tim Farron, has used questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to gain assurances from the Government that tenant farmers will be able to secure the funds they are entitled to through the Uplands Entry Level Scheme.

Speaking in the question session Tim raise the concern that since the switch from the Hill Farm Allowance to the Government's new Uplands Entry Level Scheme, many tenant farmers have lost out as payments have been claimed by absentee landlords and have not then filtered through to the farmers actually working the land.

Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman agreed with Tim and confirmed that her department had specifically outlined the need to ensure landlords back their tenant farmers who want to take advantage of the scheme.

Speaking after the question session Tim said: "The uplands are a vital source of food production in this country and at a time when not only the population is growing dramatically but the demand for food is too, it is worrying that some hardworking tenant farmers are not receiving the payments they need because they are being snaffled by absentee landowners.

"I'm glad that the government has acknowledge that this is an important issue when talking about uplands farming and I look forward to working closely with Ministers to ensure that Uplands Entry Level Scheme payments find their way into the hands of the hardworking tenant farmers who need them."