Carla Lockhart

Carla Lockhart

Democratic Unionist Party — Upper Bann

Speaking in the House of Commons on 28 October 2025

Debate

Family Farming in Northern Ireland

Contribution

I beg to move, That this House has considered the impact of agricultural property relief and business property relief on family farming in Northern Ireland. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. I am very grateful for the opportunity to bring forward this debate on an issue that cuts right to the heart of rural Northern Ireland and indeed Britain. The proposed changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief will have devastating consequences for family farms across our nation. Agriculture is not just another sector in our economy; for Northern Ireland it is our very foundation. It sustains our rural communities, feeds over 10 million people annually, underpins our agrifood industry and provides work for tens of thousands of families. I make no apology for repeating a comment that I have made previously, and that my grandfather tells me every Sunday at the dinner table: if the farmer is not doing well in this country, no one is. In Northern Ireland we have over 26,000 farms. They form the backbone of our rural life—

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