DEFRA CUTS - THE SCOTTISH ANGLE

Posted on 2 June 2010

DEFRA will contribute £162m as the government looks to make £6bn of savings in 2010/11 which is around 5.6% from its annual budget.

DEFRA has said its efforts to help balance the books will mean the following:-

limiting recruitment and reducing the number of non-permanent staff;
operational savings in IT, estates and procurement;
a reduction in funding for Regional Development Agencies;
efficiencies in flood management while maintaining an increase in expenditure;
savings within the delivery of selected programmes.

The scale of the cuts are severe and largely targeted at DEFRA’s operational structure. With a decision still to be taken on transferring the animal health budget to Scotland, the fears that Scotland’s share will come from a rapidly diminishing pot have yet to be addressed. It will be another year before the full impact of cuts in Scotland is known. From the Scottish farming perspective, it is important that any cuts in budgets are justified and targeted in a way that enhances the industry’s competitiveness rather than reduces it. A vibrant food and farming sector in Scotland is essential to the delivery of a whole host of economic, social and environmental benefits that will help support Scotland's economic recovery. These should not be undermined by unwarranted or unjustified budgetary savings.

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