Issue - meetings

This Council considers that the government’s changes in its Autumn budget to Inheritance Tax treatment of farmland, increases to employers’ National Insurance and introduction of a new fertiliser tax on key agricultural imports will have a detrimental cumulative impact on family farms across Oxfordshire.

This Council notes with concern that these family farm taxes risk:

• Adversely affecting local farmers’ potential to employ people in Oxfordshire’s rural economy;

• Damaging the ability for family farmers to pass on their farms to their children; and

• Making food production at competitive prices more difficult for us as a county.

This Council requests Cabinet to ensure that:

1. Its own policies are as supportive of local farmers as reasonably possible;

2. The newly integrated Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (‘OxLEP’) prioritises the local rural economy in its governance structure and ongoing development of its strategic plan;

3. The Cabinet Member for the Environment organises a meeting with local farmers and elected members of all political groups to listen to their concerns with a view to informing the Council’s and OxLEP’s ongoing policy development.

This Council requests the Leader to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ask that introduction of these family farm taxes be reconsidered for the sake of environmental protection and food security.

Note: The motion, if passed, would constitute the exercise of an executive function in which case it will be referred to the Cabinet together with any advice the Council may wish to give, in accordance with Rule 13.5.1 (i) of the Council Procedure Rules in the Constitution.

The motion was carried with 36 votes in favour, 14 against and 0 abstentions.

The motion was proposed by Councillor Reeves and seconded by Councillor Field-Johnson.  Following debate, the motion was carried with 36 votes in favour, 14 against and 0 abstentions.

RESOLVED:

This Council considers that the government’s changes in its Autumn budget to Inheritance Tax treatment of farmland, increases to employers’ National Insurance and introduction of a new fertiliser tax on key agricultural imports will have a detrimental cumulative impact on family farms across Oxfordshire.

This Council notes with concern that these family farm taxes risk:

• Adversely affecting local farmers’ potential to employ people in Oxfordshire’s rural economy;

• Damaging the ability for family farmers to pass on their farms to their children; and

• Making food production at competitive prices more difficult for us as a county.

This Council requests Cabinet to ensure that:

1. Its own policies are as supportive of local farmers as reasonably possible;

2. The newly integrated Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (‘OxLEP’) prioritises the local rural economy in its governance structure and ongoing development of its strategic plan;

3. The Cabinet Member for the Environment organises a meeting with local farmers and elected members of all political groups to listen to their concerns with a view to informing the Council’s and OxLEP’s ongoing policy development.

This Council requests the Leader to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ask that introduction of these family farm taxes be reconsidered for the sake of environmental protection and food security.