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The level of preparation within the Department Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in Britain to deal with the policy changes that Brexit will bring was questioned by the vice-president of the National Farmers’ Union in Westminster last week.
“One of our main concerns is whether Defra is fit for purpose with the increased challenge on them going forward,” Guy Smith told peers on the House of Lords EU energy and environment sub-committee.
He said that the workload and expertise needed within Defra has increased due to the Brexit vote. This also follows on from significant budget cuts to the department in recent years.
Figures from Defra show that total staff numbers drop by 14% from 25,428 in 2012/13 to 21,964 in 2015/16. The Autumn Statement in 2015 also set out plans for a further 15% cut to the department’s resource budget by 2019-20.
Transition
“We are concerned that they do not have the necessary resources and skill sets in place to make sure our industry has a smooth transition,” Smith told peers last week.
On enquiry, a Defra spokesperson said that many roles within the department now relate to UK withdrawal from the EU, but did not comment on how many new staff were being taken on to work on Brexit issues.
“The department has set up an EU exit programme to coordinate this work, and is identifying and populating EU exit-related vacancies on a rolling basis,” the spokesperson said.
Smith also raised concerns last week that a “culture shift” was needed within the government. “For too long, Defra has seen itself as a regulatory body because support has come from Brussels. It must now see itself as a sponsoring body that looks after the interests of British agriculture,” he said.
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