'TREASURY HAVE SLAMMED DOOR ON OUR INDUSTRY AND THROWN AWAY KEY'

FUW policy chief has blunt answers for MPs enquiring into Welsh farming issues

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE Countryside and Tourism Editor [e-mail]

THE Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) policy chief minced few words when he gave evidence to the Welsh Affairs Committee last week for its inquiry into the challenges and opportunities of farming in Wales.

Gareth Parry, a long-standing FUW staff member, and the Union's Head of Policy since 2024, was questioned by MPs on a number of the ongoing challenges facing Welsh agriculture; including the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, the changes to agricultural and business property relief, and how changes to the UK Government's funding for Welsh agriculture will impact the sustainability of the sector.

Several questions during the session focused on the proposed inheritance tax reforms, with Mr Parry relaying the latest figures from Family Business UK and CBI Economics on the potential impacts for the UK economy.