The campaign being led by Brian May, Save Me, has served a High Court action earlier today against the extension to the pilot badger cull in Gloucestershire. Further details are available on the Save Me website.
Following the sacking of former Farming Minister David Heath last week, and the appointment of George Eustice MP and Dan Rogerson MP to the DEFRA Ministerial team, it has now been confirmed that George Eustice will be the Farming Minister. Further information is available on the GOV.uk website.
It is being reported that Farming Minister David Heath has been sacked from his post at DEFRA in the Government reshuffle. Two Cornish MPs, Conservative George Eustice (Camborne and Redruth) and Liberal Democrat Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall) have each been appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretaries to DEFRA. Richard Benyon earlier stood down as Environment and Fisheries Minister.
The Ministerial CAP Reform Q & A meeting on the Welsh Direct Payments consultation that was arranged for the evening of 26th September at the Glen Yr Afon House Hotel in Usk has had to be POSTPONED as the Minister for Natural Resources and Food will now be unavailable. The meeting will now take place on Thursday 24th October at the same venue at 7.30 p.m.
Planned work to the CAAV computer systems will take place on Thursday 12th September and may cause some disruption. If you have difficulties in contacting the CAAV by e-mail on Thursday, please telephone the office on 01594 832979.
The 10th CAAV Young Valuers' Conference is being held on Friday 27th September at the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester. With the usual array of speakers and afternoon visit, the day delivers 6 hours CPD. To mark the tenth year of this event, the evening sees a black tie banquet where we are pleased to welcome Alex James (Bassist with the band Blur and award-winning cheesemaker) as the after-dinner speaker. Partners and friends are most welcome to come along to the Banquet. Bookings...
The NFU has announced that the pilot badger cull has begun in Gloucestershire and Somerset. The cull is part of the series of measures put in place in an attempt to reduce the incidence of bovine TB in England. Further details are available on the DEFRA pages of the GOV.UK website, including a link to a letter to farmers from NFU President Peter Kendall.
The public consultation on the proposed route for HS2 Phase 2 - linking Birmingham with Manchester and Leeds - has opened today and will close on 31st January 2014. The consultation documents can be found on the HS2 website.
Patrick McLoughlin, Secretary of State for Transport, has announced that safeguarding directions have been issued for Phase 1 of the HS2 project, from London to Birmingham. More detail is available on the Department for Transport website.
The Talbot Ponsonby Prize, given by the Royal Agricultural Society of England for the top marks in the CAAV examinations, was awarded to John Haimes at the 69th CAAV AGM in June. The runner up prize for the 2012 examinations was Simon Brown.
James O'Brien of Brown and Co in Lincolnshire was elected President of the CAAV at the 2013 Annual Conference and 69th AGM held at the Savill Court Hotel, Windsor, on 28th June. Michael Mashiter, from North West Auctions in Kendal was elected as Senior Vice President and Charles Meynell of Fisher German in Stafford was elected as Junior Vice President. The AGM concluded two days of interesting visits and speakers attended by some 160 or so members. On Thursday delegates visited the Home Park at...
DEFRA has approved the extension of a GM wheat trial by Rothamstead Research. Further information is available on the Government website.
The Department for Transport has published the draft Environmental Statement and proposed design refinements for HS2 phase one - the section from London to Birmingham. Both documents are now open for public consultation until 11th July 2013.
It is likely that the RPA will be affected by planned industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services Union on Wednesday 15th May. The Customer Service Centre (CSC) may not be operating a normal service. Further information is available on the RPA website.
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, has today announced that regulations are to be laid before Parliament to allow the change of use of offices (B1(a)) to dwellings (C3) without a full planning application. Provision will also be made to allow the change of use of redundant agricultural buildings of less than 500m2 to a range of business uses. We will post further information once the Regulations have been published and more detail is known.
DEFRA has reported that a case of Avian Influenza has been identified at a poultry farm in East Anglia. Initial tests suggest that the case does not involved the more dangerous H5 or H7 strains.
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The RPA will be affected tomorrow (Friday 5th April) by industrial action planned by the Public and Commercial Services Union. This is most likely to disrupt the Customer Service Centre (CSC). For further information, please see the RPA website.
The Chancellor has delivered his Budget to Parliament today. Further details can be found on HM Treasury website. Briefing for members will be available in the Members' Area in due course.
Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson, has today confirmed at the NFU annual conference that the two pilot badger culls in West Gloucestershire and West Somerset will go ahead this summer. Authorisation letters have been issued by Natural England to the pilot cull areas.A reserve pilot area in Dorset is also being prepared in case of any issues with the two main pilot areas that may prevent one of them being used. Further information is available on the DEFRA website....