Michelle Welsh

I am incredibly proud of the agriculture element of our rural communities. In Sherwood Forest, we have lots of local farms that are part of our community and at the heart of rural life. It is vital that we hear their concerns and ensure that these local British businesses can prosper and thrive. From Oliver Collingham and Richard Baugh to Michael Prendergast and Colin Bower, the constituency of Sherwood Forest has farmers, along with their families, who are dedicated, hard-working and decent people trying to make a living managing our countryside. They have had to battle for 12 months on inheritance tax, and I am incredibly pleased that the Government have listened. But we must continue to listen. Farming is under pressure. Some of the main challenges raised with me by local farmers include persistent rural crime, limited policing capacity, low farm profitability, low morale, workforce insecurity, biosecurity risk linked to imports, and uncertainty around farm schemes and long-term policy stability. On rural crime, farmers tell me that they are reporting persistent and escalating crime, including organised poaching gangs on quad bikes who at night are damaging livestock and fencing and intimidating farmers and gamekeepers. That is understandably causing significant risk to safety and animal welfare, as well as costing farmers for product, land, equipment and property. It is unsustainable for many farms for this issue to continue without prevention. The police are already overstretched, and without support from Government with frontline enforcement and prevention, the situation will only get worse. Let me emphasise the need for every police force adequately to record rural crime and treat it seriously; the livelihood and safety of local farmers and communities deserve nothing less. I ask the Government to issue a mandate to all police forces—including Nottinghamshire police, which is not currently doing this—to record rural crime and provide regular reports that would guide resources to where they need to be. Will the Minister speak to her Home Office colleagues about a clear mandate on the reporting of rural crime, on the current support for Nottinghamshire police and on directing additional resources specifically for rural policing and crime? The increase in rural crime is compounded by existing concerns about farm viability, low returns and workforce pressures affecting business confidence and employment stability. Very low commodity prices are squeezing margins, and many are worried about maintaining sustainable wages for staff.