Defra asks farmers for red-tape reduction ideas

Jim Paice, the Farm Minister, launched the task force in June because regulations were ‘nearly always been put in place for good reasons but not necessarily in the best way’.

He has now asked for industry feedback on:

• regulations that are unnecessary and could be removed without lowering standards
• regulations that have had additional and unnecessary measures added to them; and
• regulations that are overly complex or disproportionate in their enforcement

Richard Macdonald, chairman of the taskforce and former NFU director general, urged farmers, growers and representatives from food industry to contact him before the consultation deadline on October 31.

“This is a major consultation exercise to identify the issues and find solutions and we encourage all interested parties to submit evidence personally or through trade and representative bodies,” he said.

Evidence can be submitted online at http://engage.defra.gov.uk/farm-regulation/or to Task Force on Farming Regulation, Area 8D Millbank, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR.

The task force will report on its findings in 2011.

Have your say

Please do not complete the following form field for security reasons.

Name

E-mail

Comment

Post as

Anonymously

Display name