House of Commons – Dec. 4, 2024 – 55

Question put accordingly (Standing Order No. 31(2)), That the original words stand part of the Question. Amendment: I beg to move an amendment, to leave out from “House” to the end of the Question and add: “thanks farmers for their immense contribution to the UK economy and the nation’s food security;

welcomes the Government’s commitment of £5 billion to the farming budget over the next two years, the biggest budget for sustainable food production and nature recovery in UK history;

acknowledges that the Government is having to make difficult decisions to protect farms and farmers in the context of the £22 billion fiscal blackhole left by the previous Government;

recognises that the Government is seeking to target Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief to make them fairer whilst also fixing the public services that everyone relies on;

and notes that under the changes announced in the Budget around three quarters of claims for Agricultural Property Relief, including those that also claim Business Property Relief, are expected to not pay more Inheritance Tax.” Original words: I beg to move, That this House regrets that the Government has undone its promises to farmers, and is seeking to punish them with Inheritance Tax bills of hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of pounds by cutting Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief;

further regrets that the Government has provided conflicting information on the number of farms that will be affected, and has not conducted an impact assessment of this approach;

notes that figures from the National Farmers’ Union suggest that some three quarters of farms will be affected;

further notes that farmers tend to be asset-rich but cash-poor and that figures from the Country Land and Business Association suggest the average arable farm will have to sell 20% of its land to pay the Inheritance Tax bill that this policy will cause;

notes that the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers anticipates that this will affect 75,000 owners of farming businesses over a generation;

notes also that this land is not guaranteed to be used for food production if sold;

and calls on the Government not to impose the cuts to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief set out in the Budget that will lead to the end of family farming as it has been known for many generations in the UK.