The mental health of farmers is one of the biggest challenges currently facing the sector. In October 2021, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution reported that almost half of the farming community (47%) were experiencing some form of anxiety, and 36% were probably or possibly depressed.57 In light of the Department’s response, we asked about the mental health of farmers and the support the Department planned to provide to the farming sector during the transition to the new scheme. The Department pointed to the Farming Resilience Fund as a key source of support. This is a scheme to offer advice to farmers so they can understand best farming practice, how they can improve their business planning and boost productivity. However, the Department’s description indicated that the fund does not offer direct support to struggling farmers, only direct them towards other schemes. The Department also highlighted its work with farming charities, and the 51 Q 130 52 C&AG’s report paras 6, 1.4, 1.13, Figure 4 53 Q 105 54 Qq 92–94, 116 55 Q 94 56 Qq 59–60 57 Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, The Big Farming Survey 2021, 15 October 2021 Environmental Land Management Scheme 17 RPA emphasised that, instead of its past focus on IT systems, performance and payments, it saw its role as ‘here to help’. It wanted to have a closer relationship with the farmers themselves and made a commitment to do whatever it could to help farmers.58 Supporting farmers through the transition