Written - Red Tape Review Update

In January 2008 I announced a review of Red Tape designed to reduce the bureaucratic burden on the farming industry. I appointed Peredur Hughes, an ex President of NFU Cymru, as external adviser to the Review. In spring 2008 a Red Tape Review stakeholder group was set up; its membership includes representatives from the farming unions, Environment Agency, Food Standards Agency, Local Authorities and Farm Assured Schemes amongst others. The Group was formed to help identify opportunities to reduce bureaucracy within the farming industry, to prioritise the areas to be looked at and to help to deliver on these.

The Review is not time bound; it is an ongoing commitment to ensure that reducing bureaucracy is mainstreamed within policy, operational and delivery activities undertaken by the Department for Rural Affairs. I have today published a progress report outlining developments on the Red Tape Review.