News

The Energy Minister has issued a statement on the availability of domestic heating oil supplies, which can be read on the DECC website.

The Localism Bill has been laid before Parliament. A detailed CAAV Briefing Note will be posted under Members' Documents shortly. The bill itself can be downloaded from the Parliament website.

Following the appointment of an interim RPA Chief Executive, Richard Judge, earlier this year when former the Chief Executive, Tony Cooper, departed, DEFRA has now appointed a new Chief Executive, Mark Grimshaw, who has been in charge of the Child Support Agency over the past two years. Mr. Grimshaw will be taking up his role with the RPA on 17th January 2011. Further information is available on the DEFRA website....

The Decentralisation and Localism Bill is expected to be published later today (Monday). DCLG has issued a guide to the Bill which can be downloaded from the DCLG website.

The Scottish Briefing Event planned for Edinburgh on Thursday has been cancelled due to the ongoing poor weather conditions which continue to make travel difficult. We will advise members of a new date for this event in due course.

The results of the 2010 CAAV examinations are being sent out via First Class post today (Friday 3rd December) to all candidates. Please note that results cannot be given to candidates over the telephone.

The 2010 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) window opens today and the RPA has commenced making payments to farmers. Agriculture Minister Jim Paice has issued a statement to Parliament which may be viewed on the DEFRA website.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has made a Statement to the House of Commons in response to the Office of Budgetary Responsibility's first Autumn Forecast, which has replaced what used to be the Pre-Budget Report.

There will be a half day briefing for CAAV members on 15th December in Birmingham which will cover a range of current topics and emerging issues including:- Environmental Stewardship changes as a consequence of the EU audit (changes to applications and payments) DEFRA Spending Review SPS Online for agents SPS entitlements transfers for 2011 CAP reform post 2013 Please contact Elaine Neades for further information and booking - elaine@caav.org.uk or 01594 832979....

The European Commission has published their official communication relating to Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post 2013. For further information please go to the following links. We will provide further briefing on this website in due course. The CAP towards 2020: Meeting the food, natural resources and territorial challenges of the future (Commission communication) ec.europa.eu Press release: europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do Background note: Commission Communication on the future of...

DEFRA has announced how payments for Environmental Stewardship agreement holders will change as a result of an EU audit. Further details have also been given with regard to the budget available for HLS in terms of the temporary suspension to HLS agreements and the Comprehensive Spending Review. Further information is available on the Natural England website. Further briefing on these changes will be given on this website as well as at the CAAV Members' Briefing on 15th December in Birmingham....

Following a report on Farming Today that DEFRA was to sell off National Parks in England, DEFRA has today confirmed that is not the case, particularly as the majority of them are privately owned. Further information is available on the DEFRA website.

The European Court of Justice has just struck down a rule compelling member states to identify all recipients of CAP support. We will brief further when we have details. The full judgment is available on the Bailii website.

The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has published a white paper on Local Growth, which can be downloaded from the BIS website.

Following the Welsh Assembly Government's confirmation earlier this week that they were not intending to sell off forests in Wales, the Scottish Government has also stated that this is similarly the case in Scotland. Further information is available on the Forestry Commission Scotland website.

The Welsh Assembly Government has launched their new Glastir Woodland Creation Grant Scheme to encourage farmers in Wales to create new woodland areas on their land. The Scheme will be administered by the Forestry Commission Wales until 1st January 2013 when delivery responsibility will pass to the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG). To view further details of the Scheme and application process please log-in to "Members' Documents". A news release is available on the WAG website....

The Welsh Assembly Government has published a written statement in reaction to the details of the Spending Review which were given on 20th October. Please see the Welsh Assembly Government website for the statement.

DEFRA is to see its resource spending cut by 29%, capital spending by 34% and a 33% reduction in its administrative budget as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. Specific detail of what real effect this will have is awaited but further information and briefing is available in a CAAV website note in Members' Documents (please log-in to view). Please also see the DEFRA website.

The UK Government has concluded that following the findings of the Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study the scheme will not be pursued for the time being but may be looked at again in the future. The Feasibility Study is available on the DECC website. Welsh Environment Minister, Jane Davidson, has thanked all those involved with the study - please see the Welsh Assembly Government website for a news release....

Agricultural Ministers from the UK and Germany met yesterday to discuss Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform post 2013. Further information is available on the DEFRA website.

Mary Creagh MP for Wakefield has been appointed as the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is also understood that Jamie Reed MP, Willie Bain MP and Peter Soulsby MP will be the shadow junior DEFRA ministers. Further information is available on the Labour Party website.

The entry level element (All-Wales Element) of the new Welsh agri-environment scheme, Glastir, opens for applications on Monday 4th October. Application packs should start to be sent out to Welsh farmers who indicated an expression of interest on their 2010 SAF from that date. The close date for submission of applications is 22nd November 2010. Further information is available on the Welsh Assembly Government website....

The CAAV Fees Survey 2010 is being circulated to members by e-mail this year, via Local Association Secretaries. Please do complete and return your survey by 4th October 2010, to assist us in producing an accurate report of fees being charged across the profession. The results will be published on the website later in the autumn.

In advance of the mailing of the September CAAV News Letter, the CAAV Costings Schedule for 2010 is now available to members on the website under Members Documents / CAAV publications.

DEFRA has today launched a consultation putting forward proposals for new measures to control bovine TB in badgers in England. The proposals include the issue of licences to farmers/landowners to cull and/or vaccinate badgers at their own cost. Further information is available on the DEFRA website.

Following discussions with rural businesses and other stakeholders, the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) has today published their 'Agenda for change' setting out proposals to release the economic potential of rural areas in England. Please see the CRC website for further information.

The RPA has announced that the SPS online service will not be available on Thursday 26th August between 11am and 7pm due to maintenance work being carried out.

The HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme opened on 20th August. Application forms can be found on the HS2 website.

The CAAV, in conjunction with RICS Wales, is holding a professional briefing event about Glastir on 8th September at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event will address the entry level (All- Wales Element) applications process which will start this September, with a close date of 1st November 2010, and the eligibility issues that need to be considered including land occupation arrangements and the end of "dual use" in Wales. Places are limited and bookings...

It has been agreed that the National Written Tutorial can count as one of the four tutorials which candidates for the 2010 CAAV examinations must have attended. Please ensure that application forms for the 2010 examinations are received by Coleford by 31st August - certificates for the National Written Tutorial can be submitted after the event.

The Department for Business, Skills and Innovation (BIS) has announced that a Groceries Code Adjudicator will be appointed to monitor the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. The Adjudicator will investigate complaints made by suppliers against supermarkets and will be part of the Office of Fair Trading.

The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has extended the deadline for receipt of expressions interest for the new Welsh agri-environment scheme, Glastir All Wales Element (AWE). The new deadline is Friday 6th August 2010. Any expressions of interest received after this date will be rejected. Further information is available on the WAG website....

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has announced the Government's intention to abolish the Government Offices for the Regions. A final decision will be made in the autumn following the Spending Review. The full announcement can be read on the DCLG website.

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman has today announced the reform of over 30 of DEFRA's 90 or so arm's length bodies. The following are being abolished - The Agricultural Wages Board, the 15 Agricultural Wages Committees, the 16 Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Commitees, the Committee on Agricultural Valuation, the Commons Commissioners, the Inland Waterways Advisory Council and the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. Further information is available on the DEFRA website....

Following the appeal brought by the Badger Trust against the cull of badgers in the Intensive Action Pilot Area (IAPA), the Welsh Assembly Government has had the TB Eradication (Wales) Order quashed by the Court of Appeal which means that the powers to carry out a badger cull and vaccination in the IAPA have been removed. The judgment can be viewed on the BAILII website. The Welsh Assembly Government has said that it is "disappointed" with the judgment and that they will need to consider the...

The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has launched a new £3.3 million Dairy Supply Chain Efficiency project. Further information is available on the WAG website.

Caroline Spelman, Environment Secretary, has announced today that the Commission for Rural Communities will be abolished and that Animal Health is to be merged with the Veterinary Laboratories Agency. Further information is available on the DEFRA website.

DEFRA has announced that a Task Force on Farming Regulation, led by Richard Macdonald, will identify ways to reduce the regulatory burden on agriculture. Further detail is available on the DEFRA website.

Members are reminded that the deadline for receipt by the RPA of amendments to SPS claims submitted by 17th May to avoid penalties is Tuesday 1st June. Any amendments must be notified in writing to the RPA.

We would remind members with clients who have Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) agreements expiring at the end of July 2010 that ELS renewal applications must be received by Natural England by 1st June 2010 in order that a start date of 1st August may be guaranteed, therefore avoiding a gap between the expiry of the existing agreement and the commencement of the new one. Further information can be found on the Natural England website....

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osbourne and Chief Secretary to the Treasury David Laws have announced today that as part of a broader package of savings, DEFRA's 2010/11 budget is to be cut by £162 million. The detail of these cuts is yet to be confirmed. Further information is available on the HM Treasury website.

DEFRA has announced that Jim Paice MP is Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, with responsibility for most farming matters and Richard Benyon MP is Parliamentary Under Secretary for Natural Environment and Fisheries. Further detail is available on the DEFRA website.

Further to the announcement that Caroline Spelman MP is to be the DEFRA Secretary of State and James Paice MP's appointment as Minster of State, it has now been confirmed that Richard Benyon MP and Lord Henley have been appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretaries of State. Confirmation is awaited with regard to division of responsibilities. Further information is available on the DEFRA website....

James Paice MP has been appointed as DEFRA Minister of State. We await further information but further appointments should be confirmed later today.

Caroline Spelman MP has been appointed Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the new Cabinet. Further information is available on the DEFRA website. Details of junior posts are expected in the next few days.

As part of the Welsh TB eradication programme, strict new cattle measures, including six monthly testing of herds, were introduced in the Intensive Action Pilot Area (IAPA) from Saturday 1st May 2010. Further information on the measures is available on the Welsh Assembly Government website.

As part of the ongoing CAAV Centenary celebrations, the CAAV President, Mark Webb, will be hosting an evening Reception on 19th May in Westminster Abbey. All CAAV members are welcome to attend this event and the booking form, together with further information, is available in the Centenary Events section of this website.

The High Court has cleared the way for a badger cull in Wales following a judicial review brought by the Badger Trust. A cull could start in the next few months.

The RPA has issued an update about payments made to date for SPS 2009. Further information is available on the RPA website.

Following a meeting earlier this morning with the Queen to request that Parliament be dissolved, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has just confirmed that, as widely speculated, the UK general election will be held on 6th May 2010. Please see the BBC News website for further information about the announcement just made by Gordon Brown.

Due to the increasing demand for blank RLE1 forms, the RPA has agreed to make the blank RLE1 form available as a pdf on their website which can be printed off and completed. This pdf may only be used until 1st June 2010. Any such printed off forms received by the RPA after that date will be rejected. Please click here for the blank RLE1. Please note that the form shows the Newcastle address. If it is being posted it should be returned to the Sheffield address - RPA, PO Box 300, Sheffield, S95...

The Commission for Rural Communities has called for evidence of economic growth and recovery in rural areas, or obstacles to it, to add to its next report to Government on the issue. Further details can be found on the CRC website.

The Treasury has confirmed that Chancellor Alistair Darling willl present his pre-election Budget on Wednesday 24th March 2010 at 12.30 p.m. Further information is available on the HM Treasury website.

The Public and Commercial Services Union are planning industrial action on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th March. This will affect the services available from the RPA and BCMS. Further information is available on the RPA website.

DEFRA has announced that the EU Dairy Fund will be distributed to all dairy farmers who produced more than 50,000 litres in the year ending September 2009, at a rate of about 0.2 ppl. For further details, see the DEFRA website.

The remaining cypermethrin sheep dips have been permanently withdrawn from the UK market. Farmers with remaining stocks of cypermethrin dip can get advice on how to dispose of it safely from the Environment Agency.

Peter Kendall has been elected as NFU President for a third term, with Meurig Raymond re-elected as Deputy President and Gwyn Jones, dairy board chairman, as Vice President.

The Conservative Party has launched its agricultural policy paper at the NFU Conference. The paper, entitled A New Age of Agriculture, can be downloaded from the Conservative Party website.

A programme and booking form are now available for the 2010 Keele Conference, to be held at Keele University, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire on the 26th March. Please apply using the booking form available on the CAAV website click here

The Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, Christianne Glossop, has urged farmers in Wales to vaccinate early for Bluetongue and to remain vigilant for any signs of the disease. Further information is available on the Welsh Assembly Government website.

Please note that due to heavy snowfall experienced this morning in Coleford a reduced service is available at the CAAV Central office.

The EU Commission has created new Directorates-General for Energy and Climate Action. DG Energy will be headed by a Britain, Philip Lowe, whilst DG Climate Action will be headed by Jos Delbeke, a Belgian.

The new strand to Entry Level Stewardship, Uplands Entry Level Stewardship (Uplands ELS) has been officially launched on an uplands farm in the Peak District. Uplands ELS replaces funding available under the Hill Farm Allowance (HFA). Further information is available on the DEFRA website.

HMRC has issued a warning about a new e-mail scam. An e-mail purporting to be from HMRC Online Services invites readers to log on to their online account to read a message. This e-mail is not from HMRC and should be deleted. For further security information, visit the HMRC website.

Eight flood and coastal projects in Wales have been awarded a total of £6.1 million of European funding which will assist with reducing flood risk for homes and businesses in the indentified areas. Further information is available on the Welsh Assembly Government website.

The OFT has asked the European Commission to refer UK aspects of the proposed merger between Orange and T-mobile to the OFT, citing that it "threatens significantly to affect competition" in the mobile phone sector.

A Welsh farmer has been subject to criminal conviction after trying to falsify the results of a bovine TB test. Further details are available on the Welsh Assembly Government website.

Booking forms and overview are now available for the Spring Briefings at Kelham Hall, Newark and The Gables Hotel, South Gloucestershire.

The Scottish Government are considering offering support to farmers whose buildings have collapsed in the recent snow. Those affected are invited to complete and return a questionnaire so that more information can be gathered. The press release and questionnaire are both available on the Scottish Government website....

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has announced that it has accepted the Competition Commission's recommendation for a body to enforce the new Groceries Supply Code of Practice. A consultation on the matter is expected to be launched in February.

The Government has launched Food 2030 - a strategy for food and farming in the next 20 years. More details are available on the DEFRA website.