DEFRA secretary Caroline Spelman has announced reforms to more than 30 of DEFRA’s arm’s length bodies including confirmation of the decision to abolish the Agricultural Wages Board.
The secretary of state announced that she will be withdrawing DEFRA funding from the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC); abolishing the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution; abolishing the Agricultural Wages Board, the 15 Agricultural Wages Committees, the 16 Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Committees and the Committee on Agricultural Valuation; abolishing the Inland Waterways Advisory Council and Abolishing the Commons Commissioners.
Caroline Spelman said: “This government is committed to being the greenest government ever and the Structural Reform Plan published last week sets out how DEFRA will play its part in achieving this. Reducing the deficit is the priority for the government and all departments are playing their part in making efficiency savings.
“The effective delivery of public services is essential and I am committed to increasing the transparency and accountability of DEFRA’s public bodies and to reducing their numbers and costs. Times have changed since many of these bodies were set up and much of what they do is now everyday government business.”
“The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee will provide powerful democratic scrutiny of government’s work in this area.”
It is hoped the arm’s length body review will make DEFRA a “leaner, stronger department” - with a renewed and clearer focus on its key priorities and a simplified structure for delivering those priorities; underpinned by a robust, credible and efficient science base.
NFU president Peter Kendall said: “The NFU has said for many years that the Agricultural Wages Board was an industrial relations relic that exists in no other sector of industry. The Secretary of State has quite rightly pointed out that the 1948 Act is outdated and does not have the best interest of farmers or workers at heart.
“[The decision] comes as a welcome relief for many farmers and growers who have struggled with the complexity of the order. But more importantly it will put farmers on a more equal footing with other employers. The presence of the Board has impacted adversely on the competitiveness of the farming sector and its removal is key to farmers and growers playing their full part in global food security.
“Clearly we need to understand the process by which the board will be abolished and the Agricultural Wages Act will have to be revoked before we can comment further. Importantly, agricultural workers will be protected by the National Minimum Wage legislation.”
Spelman promised to continue to look closely at other DEFRA arm’s length bodies and will make any further announcements as appropriate.
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