Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with representatives of the (a) Agriculture Horticulture Development Board and (b) Agriculture Development and Research Service on the potential merits of providing Government funding to those bodies.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is a Non-Departmental Public Body and is funded through a statutory industry levy collected from farmers, growers and processors. AHDB delivers its work through sector plans that are formed through consultation with its levy payers. From 1 April 2024 levy rates have been raised by up to 25%, increasing AHDV’s annual budget by up to £10 million and boosting the level of support to the farming industry.

Levy payers greatly value AHDB’s independence and industry focus. This independence stems from the fact that AHDB does not receive direct funding from Defra. Defra officials continue to work closely with AHDB to ensure it is meeting its statutory obligations. There are ongoing discussions regarding opportunities for Defra and AHDB to co-fund mutually beneficial projects through a specific partnership arrangement.

The Agricultural Development Advisory Service (ADAS) is a privately owned agricultural and environmental consultancy and research business. It has access to Government funding through tendering on a commercial basis for Defra research and consultancy contracts – a recent example being ADAS securing the contract for the Countryside Stewardship Scheme monitoring programme.