Howard slams DEFRA at Fair

 MICHAEL HOWARD MP, Leader of the Opposition has slammed the government‘s new cross-compliance rules whilst visiting the CLA Game Fair.

Mr Howard said: “The most appalling thing is how farmers who have maintained hedges and ditches will be penalised by the two metre strip requirement. 

“It‘s very unfair that it has been adopted, particularly after all the complaints that were made about it,” he told a press meeting on the first day (Friday, July 23rd) of the CLA Game Fair, Blenheim, Oxford.

“It‘s yet more evidence of DEFRA‘s insatiable appetite for regulation and bureaucracy which adds huge costs to farming businesses.”

Country Land and Business Association president Mark Hudson voiced similar views that DEFRA‘S cross-compliance rules were yet more evidence of the government‘s desire to gold plate EU legislation.

“Government cannot keep its sticky fingers off legislation from Europe and this makes it more onerous for farmers – particularly English farmers,” Mr Hudson said.

DEFRA‘s decision to include 2m uncultivated strips around hedges and dykes and rights of way protection in the cross-compliance rules would be counterproductive, he said.

“The 2m margin rule is a missed opportunity and could result in fewer farmers going into the Entry Level Scheme,” he warned.

“Also it‘s a nonsense to incorporate rights of way protection into the rules and reveals how government always needs to add more to European legislation.

“It‘s the thin end of the wedge and raises the concern what will government do next?”