Food Security and Rural Affairs Minister Daniel Zeichner faces questions on inheritance tax reforms and challenges for farming in Wales
On Wednesday 16 July, the Welsh Affairs Committee will question Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner in the final evidence session of its inquiry Farming in Wales in 2025: Challenges and Opportunities.
Meeting details
MPs are likely to want to focus on the potential impacts on Welsh farmers of the inheritance tax reforms announced in the Budget last year and due to come into force in April 2026. There are expected to be questions on the Government’s assessment of how many farms in Wales will be affected, what specific impact assessments were carried out and whether alternatives or a delay to inheritance tax reforms have been considered.
In the first session of the Committee’s inquiry, the Committee heard from the Farmers’ Union of Wales, Wales Young Farmers’ Club and the National Farmers’ Union Cymru who all raised concerns about the potential impacts of the reforms to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief on farmers in Wales.
Other topics which MPs may raise include the decision by the UK Government to remove the ringfencing of future agricultural funding for Wales. Farming groups previously told the inquiry that this could lead to a funding fall, amid concerns that the method does not adequately reflect the relative importance of farming to the Welsh economy and workforce.
As 75% of Welsh food and drink exports were to countries within the EU in 2023, MPs may also ask about the future of trade following the UK-EU reset deal. There could also be questions on food security and changes to policy regarding the bluetongue virus.