The government recognises that uncertainty around future policy can be a source of stress for farmers and landowners and is committed to reducing this. In leading work with the farming sector, Defra understands the importance of working collaboratively to co-design farming reforms. Co-design is the right approach to making sure that farming reforms work for the sector through a process of testing, trialling, and improving policies and we are committed to providing as much certainty as practicable throughout this process. The Farming Resilience Fund provides free business support to farmers in England to help them adapt to the Agricultural Transition Plan. The current round runs until March 2025. The type of expert business support available is expected to have a positive indirect impact on farmer wellbeing, and providers are also asked to operate signposting services to professional mental health and wellbeing support where appropriate. Some delivery providers are offering this support from in-house experts and others are signposting support available from external services. Defra has also worked with the Yellow Wellies charity, to provide advice and information on how to identify potential mental health issues and provide tools for addressing them. The government recognises that training employees in mental health first aid can have a role to play as part of a holistic approach to raising awareness of, preventing, and tackling potential mental health issues in the workplace. It can also support employees in ‘frontline’ roles to provide support and signposting to members of the public, where appropriate. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is currently rolling out a refreshed customer excellence training programme which has a module on identifying and dealing with anxiety. All RPA field officers are provided with information so that they can refer farmers to appropriate professional support, such as Farming Helpline run by the Farming Community Network. Additionally, The Animal and Plant Health Agency provides Health and Safety Guidance to managers and employees. This includes detailed guidance for managers and employees who might be subject to or involved with a person making a threat of (or actual) self-harm or suicide. However, regulatory change to mandate mental health first aid training would be a prescriptive measure that would not allow employers to tailor their approach to workplace mental ill health and would introduce a substantial financial burden on business, particularly to small and medium size enterprises. Given the potential complexity of supporting those with mental ill health, businesses may also need to consider whether they have staff employed with suitable skills to deliver such a requirement and this may potentially impact recruitment. The Health and Safety (First Aid) regulations are designed to help individuals who require immediate intervention or support where necessary until professional emergency care arrives, which can include support for mental ill health where this need is identified in the employer’s assessment. HSE legal series guidance First aid at work: The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. Guidance on Regulations L74 (hse.gov.uk) provides interpretive guidance on the law and factors to consider. The First Aid Regulations do not prescribe the use of first aid training courses covering mental ill health at work. Instead, they enable an employer to consider, as part of their first aid needs assessment, their business size, nature of the work and employee needs. This ensures that the support an employer puts in place is tailored to their specific requirements. This risk-based approach is a vital part of health and safety legislation and allows businesses flexibility to respond to changing needs.