Baroness Batters says 'too much at stake' for report to be rushed
Baroness Batters has dismissed claims her long-awaited Farm Profitability Review has been buried, blaming instead a backlog of ‘government communications'.
The former NFU president delivered her 50,000-word report which contained 56 recommendations to the department on October 31.
Despite Defra Secretary of State Emma Reynolds promising to publish its findings, along with a Government response before the end of the year, Opposition MPs and media outlets have accused Defra of ‘burying' the document.
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However, Baroness Batters today addressed the rumours and said: "I am more frustrated than anyone that the Farm Profitability Review has not been published.
"But I am going to keep to my end of the bargain, because to be honest there is too much at stake."
The cross-party peer also pointed to another social media post by commentator Peter Hyman, which revealed the chaos behind Government communications.
Baroness Batters said: "For all those who think there is a big conspiracy buying my report, have a read of Peter Hyman, it is a 100% cock-up.
"For me the danger is that these days any government focuses more on the press release than the policy that should underpin it."
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Baroness Batters also took aim at a national newspaper which had said her report would disclose just how badly the Government's Inheritance Tax changes would ‘hurt' small family farms.
She said she had not been contacted by the publication and had not spoken to the journalist responsible.
"I take great exception to being told I did not comment – when I was never asked for a comment."
