1st Report - Defra performance in 2014-15
- HC No.
- HC 443
- Published
- 15 Dec 2015
- Items
- 0
- Government response
- Government response published 8 March 2016. Read the government's response ↗
Select committee: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Defra performance in 2014-15 inquiry
Closed
Opened 7 Sep 2015
Closed 8 Mar 2016
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee warns that the reduction in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (Defra's) budgets over the next four years must not affect vital flood protection work. The MPs want Defra to produce a plan showing how it will deliver vital services in the face of further cuts which will reduce administration budgets by over a quarter and overall resource budgets by 15%.
Where it stands
The inquiry is closed, opened 7 September 2015.
The committee has published 1 report, most recently 1st Report - Defra performance in 2014-15 on 15 December 2015.
The government's response
Published 8 March 2016.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government responds to the Committee's report on Defra performance in 2014-15 largely by setting out existing and planned actions, with a Single Departmental Plan to be published "shortly" and 15% savings to running costs.
- On strategy for spending reductions, the Single Departmental Plan, based on Defra's strategy to 2020, "will be published shortly" and sets out seven strategic objectives; Defra must achieve a 26% cut in its administration budget by 2019-20.
- On animal disease research, the government "agrees" that an evidence base based on "sound science" is essential, and says it will invest £130 million capital in Defra's science estates by 2020-21.
- On bovine TB, the government says it "continues to monitor" the badger control policy, published the first-year impact report in August 2015 and "plans to publish further annual reports". It also says there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach.
- On broadband, the government says it intends to consult on a new Universal Service Obligation "in early spring 2016", with an ambition to set it at 10Mbps by 2020.
Reports
- 1st Report - Defra performance in 2014-1515 December 2015
Evidence
- 2 oral evidence sessionsLatest 21 October 2015
Recent activity
- 1st Special Report - Defra performance in 2014-15: Government Response to the Committee's First Report of Session 2015-168 March 2016, Report published
- 1st Report - Defra performance in 2014-1515 December 2015, Report published
- Oral evidence session21 October 2015, Oral evidence
Reports
Oral evidence sessions
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