These requirements apply to all business activities in this division.
registration
England
One_Off
County Parish Holding (CPH) number registration
Enforced by:
RPA
Cattle Identification Regulations 2007; Pigs (Records, Identification and Movement) Order 2011
All land used for keeping livestock, or land that receives organic manure, must have a CPH number. Apply via Rural Payments Agency (England), RPID (Scotland), RPW (Wales). Separate systems in each devolved nation.
insurance
Great_Britain
Annual
Employers' Liability Insurance
Enforced by:
HSE
Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969; Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Regulations 1998
Required for all employers. Sole traders and family farms with no employees exempt.
inspection
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
Enforced by:
HSE
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
General duties to employees and others. Agriculture is one of the highest-risk sectors — farm fatality rate is 20x the all-industry average. HSENI enforces in Northern Ireland.
reporting
Great_Britain
Ongoing
RIDDOR 2013 (farm accident reporting)
Enforced by:
HSE
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013
Must report work-related deaths, specified injuries, over-7-day incapacitation, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences. Self-employed persons working on agricultural premises are covered.
permit
England_Wales
Ongoing
Environmental permit / farming waste exemptions
Enforced by:
ENVIRONMENT_AGENCY
Environmental Protection Act 1990; Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016
Most farms register waste exemptions (e.g. U10 spreading waste to benefit agricultural land, T4 preparatory treatments) under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016, which applies directly in Wales too — NRW is simply the enforcing regulator there, not a separate legal regime. Scotland has its own separate regime (SEPA, see environmental_permit_waste_scotland); Northern Ireland is separate again (DAERA).
permit
Scotland
Ongoing
Environmental permit / farming waste exemptions (Scotland)
Enforced by:
SEPA
The Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018
Scotland counterpart to environmental_permit_waste. Since 1 November 2025, SEPA authorises waste management activities (including the farm exemptions formerly registered under the Waste Management Licensing (Scotland) Regulations 2011, revoked by SSI 2025/165) under the integrated Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 framework, in place of the England and Wales Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016 U10/T4 exemption regime.
inspection
England
Annual
Cross-compliance / SFI conditionality
Enforced by:
RPA
Agriculture Act 2020
Farms claiming BPS/SFI/CS payments must meet Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs) and keep land in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC). RPA conducts cross-compliance inspections. Scotland and Wales have separate schemes (RPID/RPW) — see cross_compliance_sfi_scotland for the Scotland equivalent.
inspection
Scotland
Annual
Cross-compliance / conditionality (Scotland)
Enforced by:
RPID
Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024
Scotland counterpart to cross_compliance_sfi. The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 is the statutory basis for Scottish agricultural support since the phase-out of EU cross-compliance, covering conditions attached to support (s8), eligibility (s16) and checking/enforcing/monitoring support (s18). RPID (Rural Payments and Inspections Division) conducts inspections; detailed conditionality standards are set under regulations made under the Act.
certification
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Plant Protection Products (pesticide) regulations
Enforced by:
HSE
Plant Protection Products Regulations 2011; Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012
All professional users must hold a specified certificate of competence (PA1/PA2 etc.). Products must be authorised by HSE Chemicals Regulation Division. Spray equipment must be tested every 5 years (NSTS). Pesticide records must be kept.
permit
Uk
Ongoing
Red diesel entitlement (rebated fuel)
Enforced by:
HMRC
Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979
Agriculture retains red diesel entitlement for off-road vehicles and machinery. Must keep fuel records. Misuse (e.g. road vehicles) carries penalties up to £500 per offence plus duty owed.