NFU President and IFS among witnesses to give evidence to MPs on impacts of proposed changes to APR and BPR
MPs on the EFRA Committee will hold the first evidence session of their future of farming inquiry, at 10:00am tomorrow.
The session will scrutinise the potential impacts of proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) on the farming sector and wider rural communities.
The announcement, made in the October Budget, on changes to the rules on APR and BPR, has generated conflicting estimations as to the number of farms which will be affected, and the severity of the impact on them.
In tomorrow’s session, the cross-party Committee will seek to elucidate the number and proportion of farms impacted by the changes, and MPs will take evidence from two panels of witnesses.
Meeting details
In the first panel, the Committee will question witnesses from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV), and the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (CenTax).
In the second panel, at approximately at 11:00am, MPs will hear the views of the presidents of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), and the Chair of the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA).
The EFRA select committee last week wrote to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, following its evidence session with him in November, with additional questions on the impact of the Budget on the agricultural sector.
Chair comment
The Chair of the EFRA Committee, Alistair Carmichael MP, said:
“Since the announcement in the Budget about the changes to Agricultural Property Relief, there has been an enormous amount of concern amongst the farming community that the viability and future of their farms are at risk.
“The number of farms that will be affected has been disputed between different groups, and in our evidence session tomorrow I hope that we might shed some light on the predicted figures. For this debate to move on we need to understand the basis of competing claims and that is a job for which the select committee is ideally suited.”
Support
For those affected by discussions during this morning's session the following organisations can offer support:
- Samaritans – Support and guidance for everyone. Call 116 123 (24 hours a day every day) or email jo@samaritans.org
- RABI – Practical, financial and emotional assistance for farming people. Call 0800 188 4444 (24 hours a day) or email help@rabi.org.uk
- The Farming Community Network – To talk to a sympathetic person who understands farmers and rural life. Call 03000 111 999 (calls will be answered in person from 7am-11pm every day of the year).
- Your GP
If you have immediate concerns about your safety or that of someone else, you should call 999.