MPs press for urgency in tackling farm red tape
15 December 2011
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee has written to Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State at Defra following the publication of the Government’s response to the Committee’s report into the Farm Regulation Task Force.
Miss Anne McIntosh MP, Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, said
“We are concerned about the lack of momentum in implementing the recommendations of the Farm Regulation task force. The Government needs to get on with this work: reducing red tape for farmers will save money, benefit rural communities and consumers.
“While we welcome Defra’s promises to pursue non-regulatory, voluntary and outcome-based approaches, we are disappointed that the Department could not give us more details about how they will implement the Task Force’s recommendations.
The Farming Regulation Task Force gave Defra a blueprint for reducing red tape yet five months on we are struggling to find any concrete examples of improvements in the situation for farmers.
The majority of Defra’s regulations originate with the EU, so it is to be regretted that Defra will not commit to protecting its EU policy teams from job cuts to ensure that we get the best deal for the UK in future.”
The EFRA Committee’s report, the Government response and correspondence with Defra are at: