Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Rutley and Elizabeth Truss

Thursday 17th July 2014 Commons Chamber

[David Rutley (Macclesfield) (Con)]

9. What progress she is making in reducing the burden of regulation on farmers.

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Elizabeth Truss)]

We are making good progress in reducing regulation. We are putting in place earned recognition, which sees high-quality farmers benefiting from fewer inspections and less red tape, and now 14 out of 31 inspection regimes allow earned recognition. The Food Standards Agency has reduced dairy inspections by more than 8,000 a year and the Environment Agency’s pigs and poultry scheme is saving members £880 a year.

[David Rutley]

I, too, congratulate my right hon. Friend on her well-deserved promotion. She will be a champion for rural communities in Norfolk, in Cheshire and across the country. It is vital that we go further to reduce the regulatory burden on farmers so that they can go on doing what they do best. With that in mind, will she tell the House what specific progress we are making under the red tape challenge?

[Elizabeth Truss]

I thank my hon. Friend for his congratulations and look forward to working with him on this issue, as I know that he is passionate about getting rid of the red tape that hampers farmers in doing what they do best. We intend to improve or remove 56% of the 516 regulations examined by the agriculture red tape challenge. As Secretary of State I want to continue to work to get rid of red tape and box-ticking, focusing instead on the outcomes we deliver in economic growth and environmental improvements. It is the outcomes that matter, not jumping through hoops.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Rutley and Elizabeth Truss

Wednesday 7th March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss (South West Norfolk) (Con)]

6. What discussions he has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on economic development.

[David Rutley (Macclesfield) (Con)]

7. What discussions he has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on economic development.