Sustainable Development Commission funding withdrawn as Defra ditches 30 quangos

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Central Government and also in Environment

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman today announced reforms to over 30 of Defra’s arm’s length bodies - including the withdrawal of funding for the Sustainable Development Commission.

Defra has around 90 quangos, many of which were set up in at a time when understanding of and engagement with environmental issues was less mainstream.

According to Defra, most of the functions that these bodies do are now part of what the Government does as a matter of course, others are now no longer necessary.

Caroline Spelman (pictured) 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 priority for the Government and all departments are playing their part in making efficiency savings.

“Together with Chris Huhne I am determined to play the lead role in driving the sustainability agenda across the whole of government and I am not willing to delegate this responsibility to an external body.

“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 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 fifteen Agricultural Wages Committees, the sixteen Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Committees and the Committee on Agricultural Valuation;
• Abolishing the Inland Waterways Advisory Council; and
• Abolishing the Commons Commissioners.

Caroline Spelman continued: “We will continue to liaise closely with the Sustainable Development Commission’s partners and will work with business, civil society, local communities, universities and internationally, to help deliver sustainable development together.

“The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee will provide powerful democratic scrutiny of Government’s work in this area.”

The Government believes 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.

The Secretary of State says she will continue to look closely at other Defra arm’s length bodies and will make any further announcements as appropriate.

SDC Chairman Will Day said he was "deeply disappointed" by the withdrawal of funding.

He said: "Our work has delivered efficiency savings totalling many times what the organisation has cost the Government, and contributed towards much greater sustainability in government - both in the way it runs itself, and the decisions it makes about our well-being and our future.

"We note the commitment of the Secretaries of State for Defra and the Department for Energy and Climate Change in playing a lead role on sustainable development across government. We await with interest the details of how a degree of cross-government independent scrutiny is to be achieved.

"However, what is important now is that the objectives we have championed - of properly balancing the needs of society, the economy and the environment as we respond to the pressing challenges ahead - find their way to the heart of all government decision-making.

"It will be particularly important to ensure that adequate plans are in place to ensure the UK Government can measure and verify its commitment to becoming the 'greenest government ever'.

"The SDC will be working hard with the Government and the devolved administrations in the weeks ahead to make sure sustainable development is given an appropriate place, and that the legacy of our cutting edge advice and hands-on capability building continue to transform the UK for a bright future."

Shadow environment secretary Hilary Benn described the decision to axe the Agricultural Wages Board as an "unjustified attack on agricultural workers".

He said: "The board has protected farm workers, including the most vulnerable, from exploitation over the years. Abolishing the board will take this protection away, leaving terms and conditions for individual farmers to decide.

"The Government talks a lot about its commitment to fairness, but when the big tests come it always fails."

Defra said that agricultural workers in England are being brought within scope of the national minimum wage, but Mr Benn said that this "misses the point completely, as several grades set by the Agricultural Wages Board were above the level of the minimum wage.

Legal protection on overtime rates, night work, standby allowances, sick pay and holiday entitlement would also be lost with the demise of the board, he said.

"It is also wrong to say that the board is 'outdated, inflexible and burdensome'. In fact, it has evolved in recent years to reflect modern agriculture and its need to recruit and retain skilled agricultural labour. This is really important given labour and skill shortages," said Mr Benn.

"We will strongly oppose this plan and I hope that the Welsh Assembly Government - whose agreement is being sought - will oppose it too."