Skip to main content

Written question asked by Sam Rushworth (Labour) on Monday, 18 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 20 May 2026. It was answered by Angela Eagle (Labour) on Wednesday, 27 May 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.


Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether everyone with a legacy Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreement that expired on 30 December 2025 secured a new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreement.

Answer

The new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) service opened for applications in September 2025 for groups who had been invited to apply. This included farmers land managers with existing Higher Tier agreements due to expire in December 2025.

Not all agreement holders will have secured a new Higher Tier agreement: This is reflected by a number of factors including if the applicant has engaged in the application process taking into account their individual requirements, whether a suitable new agreement proposal can be offered and the impact of site-specific environmental requirements and assessments.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
2367
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Countryside stewardship scheme
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk