Source · Select Committees · Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Accepted
Improve Defra's communication with Parliament, ensuring policy statements are subject to proper scrutiny.
Recommendation
Defra must improve its communications with Parliament and ensure that statements regarding policy are made in the House and subject to voluntary and proper scrutiny. Defra should affirm its commitment to doing so in its response to this report. (Recommendation, Paragraph 63) 35
Government response summary AI-generated
The government accepted the recommendation, affirming its commitment to parliamentary scrutiny and stating that work is underway across the Department to improve parliamentary capability, especially concerning written Parliamentary Questions.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
The Government agrees that Parliamentary scrutiny is vital to effective policy development and good Government. The Government always strives to keep Parliament updated, and Ministers act in accordance with the Ministerial Code, as circumstances permit. Work is being undertaken across the Department to improve Parliamentary Capability following the Secretary of State’s appearance before the Procedure Committee on 4 June regarding written Parliamentary Question performance. Conclusion The Government is grateful for the Committee’s report. We recognise the importance of setting out a long-term strategic framework to guide farming policy and support mechanisms and the vital role farmers play in feeding our nation. The Government appreciates the work undertaken by the Committee during its inquiry into the future of farming and will continue to take their recommendations into account as we deliver our future work programme 10
Read the full response on Parliament ↗