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Closed Produce a Farmland Protection Policy to regulate the loss of farmland to solar

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Due to the cumulative impact solar developments will have on availability of agricultural land, the Government should produce a regulatory framework in the form of a National Policy Statement on Farmland Protection to avoid losing a critical mass of productive agricultural land to solar.

Agricultural land is a finite resource. We believe there is currently a policy conflict where Government seeks to protect and enhance our domestic production to maintain food security whilst also encouraging the growth of solar energy production. New ground-mounted solar developments must be subject to increased regulation to ensure that they do not undermine UK food security, which could result in increasing food costs.

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    Westminster Hall is the second chamber of the House of Commons. Westminster Hall debates give MPs an opportunity to raise local and national issues and receive a response from a government minister. Westminster Hall debates are general debates that do not end in a vote.

    Visual explainer: Westminster Hall debates

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    Visual explainer: Backbench Business debates

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  • Related activity

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    The Government now must respond to the committee's report within two months. The committee will publish the Government’s response on the Committee's website.

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    The Environmental Audit Committee is a cross-party group of backbench MPs that considers the extent to which the policies and progress of government departments and non-departmental public bodies contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development and audits their performance against sustainable development and environmental protection targets.

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    Debates in Westminster Hall take place on ‘general debate' motions expressed in neutral terms. These motions are worded ‘That this House has considered [a specific matter]'.

    Get involved in the work of the UK Parliament

    Sign up to the Your UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference.

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    Sign up to the Your UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference

    What are backbench business debates?

    Backbench business debates give backbenchers (MPs who aren’t ministers or shadow ministers) an opportunity to secure a debate on a topic of their choice, either in the Chamber or Westminster Hall.

    MPs can make a request for a debate to the Backbench Business Committee, who hears and decides which debates to schedule.

    Backbench debates can either be general debates (which do not end in a vote) or be on a substantive motion (which calls for an action and can end in a vote). This debate was a general debate.

  • Petition closed

  • Related activity

    Large solar farms debated by MPs

    On Wednesday 9 March, MPs took part in a Westminster Hall debate on large solar farms. The debate was opened by Brendan Clarke-Smith MP. During the debate, MPs discussed the impact of such farms, including the use of agricultural land for solar farms.

    Watch the debate: https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/cfb520e2-47e0-4a8b-9d6a-278ec30016c5

    Read the transcript: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2022-03-09/debates/22030973000001/LargeSolarFarms

    What is a Westminster Hall debate?

    Westminster Hall is the second chamber of the House of Commons. Westminster Hall debates give MPs an opportunity to raise local and national issues and receive a response from a government minister. Westminster Hall debates are general debates that do not end in a vote.

    Find out more about Westminster Hall debates: https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/debates/westminster-hall-debates/

    Get involved in the work of the UK Parliament

    Sign up to the UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference: https://learning.parliament.uk/en/your-uk-parliament-newsletter-sign-up-form/

  • Petition published

    This petition can now be signed.

    If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.

    If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

    This petition will stay open until 24 July 2022.