Defra confirm budget cuts of up to £300 million

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) faces budget cuts of up to £300 million.  The news had originally been leaked to the Guardian newspaper but has now been confirmed by Helen Ghosh, Defra’s permanent Secretary of State.  Mrs Ghosh confirmed that there would be around £130 million of immediate savings, with £140 million of “more radical” cuts to follow.  Although it is not currently known which areas will be affected by these cuts, an announcement is expected to be made in February.

Mrs Ghosh said Defra had been asked to find additional money for new initiatives such as the greener homes strategy and so will have to pull the funding required for this from elsewhere.  She described it as “a reprioritising exercise against a new strategy.”