DEFRA has announced the first round of new grants to assist householders to protect houses from flooding. The funding has been made available as part of the Flood Protection Grant Scheme following the government response to Sir Michael Pitt's review of the floods in 2007. Further information is available on the DEFRA website.
The Department for Energy and Climate Change has launched a five point plan to guide UK climate action. The full press release can be read at the DECC website.
The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) is to appoint a Chief Scientific Adviser for the first time ever in Wales. The creation of this role follows a review carried out by Professor Christopher Pollack on behalf of the First Minister in 2008. Further information is available on the WAG website.
Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones has announced that there will be no application of a National Envelope to the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) in Wales. A National Envelope provision was included within the CAP Health Check and was consulted upon in Wales earlier this year. Further information is available on the WAG website.
The Government has published the final report "Digital Britain" which lays out the long-term strategy for digital delivery for the UK. The report can be veiwed on the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS)website.
DEFRA has published a new wildlife health strategy that sets out a general approach to tackling disease in wildlife. Further information is available on the DEFRA website.
The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) has been honoured by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales accepting the CAAV's invitation to him to be its Centenary Patron. The CAAV will be celebrating its Centenary over the year to June 2010 with a range of events. The Prince of Wales has agreed to be Patron for that Centenary Year.
The CAAV AGM at Stratford-upon-Avon on Friday 12th June elected Mark Webb as its President for the Centenary Year 2009/2010. Mark Webb, who is a founding partner of WebbPaton, based at Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, said, "The CAAV has got a century of achievement under its belt and we are looking forward to our second century. Agricultural valuers have shown themselves to be practical and adaptable as times and client's needs have changed; professionals in the countryside giveing support to all...
A further new Minister has been appointed to DEFRA to replace Lord Hunt as Parliamentary Under Secretary as a result of Lord Hunt moving over to the Department for Energy and Climate Change, having previously shared his responsibilities between the two departments. Dan Norris MP is Lord Hunt's replacement and further information is available on the DEFRA website.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has today issued a statement to Parliament regarding the predicament of Dairy Farmers of Britain (DFOB). His statement may be viewed on the DEFRA website.
Following the departure of Jane Kennedy from government yesterday, the DEFRA ministerial team has been joined by Jim Fitzpatrick MP. Further information is available on the DEFRA website.
Two Government departments (BERR and DIUS) are to be merged to form the new Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Further information is available from the BERR website.
The Commission for Rural Communities has published a Rural Reference Bulletin on Digital Inclusion, which reviews the availability of broadband connections in rural reas. The bulletin is available from the CRC website.
The BBC News website has reported that Environment Minister Jane Kennedy has been 'sacked' from government after refusing to pledge her support for Gordon Brown's continuing leadership.
Following today's Cabinet reshuffle, Hilary Benn is remaining as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Further information is available on the DEFRA website.
Dairy Farmers of Britain appointed PriceWaterhouseCoopers as receivers on 3rd June 2009. Further information on the position of dairy farmers supplying DFB can be obtained from the DFB page on the PWC website, or from the DFB website.
Natural England has published its response to the consultation on set aside mitigation, expressing reservations about the CLA/NFU Option B proposals. The full press release can be found on the Natural England website.
As from the 1st June 2009, the Lands Tribunal has become the Lands Chamber of the Upper Tribunal as part of the reform of the whole of the tribunals system in the United Kingdom. In practice it is unlikely that there will be significant practical changes to the work of the Lands Tribunal. Further information is available on the Tribunals Service website.
The Environment Agency have opened a consultation on a review of the Severn Estuary Shoreline Management Plan, details of which are available on the Environment Agency website.
A reminder that the consultation period for the draft River Basin Management Plans closes on 22nd June. Draft RBMPs have been produced for the Anglian, Humber, Severn, Thames, Dee, North-west, Northumbria, South-east, South-west, Solway Tweed and Western Wales districts. All the documents can be found on the Environment Agency website.