EFRA Committee questions Defra officials on the Farming and Countryside Programme
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is to hold the second evidence session of its Future of Farming inquiry on Tuesday at 10am, as it examines Defra’s Farming and Countryside Programme.
The session will see MPs use the National Audit Office’s (NAO) report into the value for money provided by Defra’s Farming and Countryside Programme, as a basis for scrutiny of the Department’s management of the programme, and developments since the publication of the report in July.
The report by the independent public spending watchdog set out the 16 environmental objectives Defra has established, as part of the Programme, to support the delivery of its environmental goal but said that ‘some are still in development and there are weaknesses that Defra needs to address’.
Meeting details
MPs will question Defra officials, including its Permanent Secretary, Dame Tamara Finkelstein, on how the Department will ensure that their Farming and Countryside Programme delivers both environmental outcomes and food production.
The Committee will seek answers as to what measures the Department is taking to support farmers and ensure that farms remain viable during the transition to the new schemes.
Witnesses are also likely to be asked how well the Department is able to understand the impact of the programme on farm businesses and on the environment.