Latest news with #DepartmentforEnvironmentFoodandRuralAffairs
Agriland
21-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
New chair appointed to AHDB
Emily Norton has been appointed by Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) ministers as the new Chair of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). Norton who has 25 years of experience in the food and farming sector, will take on the role for three years from June 1, 2025. She will succeed Nicholas Saphir, who is stepping down after more than five years in the role. Appointments to the AHDB Board are made by Defra ministers, with the approval of ministers in the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments. Norton will be supported by board member Stephen Briggs, who has been appointed as deputy chair. Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner said: 'Emily Norton's leadership and extensive experience in a diverse range of sectors will bring fresh perspective and strategic insight to AHDB. 'I look forward to working closely with her as we continue to champion our world-class farmers and food producers – driving rural economic growth and strengthening food security. 'I would also like to express my gratitude to Nicholas Saphir for his dedication, drive and expertise throughout his tenure.' Outgoing AHDB chair Nicholas Saphir said: 'I have served as AHDB chair for the last five years, during which time it has been an honour and a pleasure to have worked with some amazingly dedicated and knowledgeable board members and staff. 'Together we have delivered a significant change in the way in which AHDB serves our levy payers. 'I leave AHDB, the board, and team well-positioned to play their part in providing 'the key that unlocks the future of British agriculture'. 'I'm delighted that Emily Norton will be stepping into the role as chair of AHDB. Emily brings a wealth of experience through her background in running a family farming business as well as her work as a highly respected strategic and policy advisor.' Emily Norton, new AHDB chair, said: 'I am proud to take on the role of chair at such a pivotal time for British agriculture. 'My professional focus has always been on strengthening the resilience, sustainability, and prosperity of the UK's food and farming sectors. 'I look forward to working with stakeholders across the industry to deliver on that mission as part of the AHDB.' New chair Emily Norton Norton is a partner in an 80ha arable farm in Norfolk and owner and founder of Farm Foresight Ltd., a strategic advisory service for the rural sector. She has previously held several executive roles including head of rural research at Savills UK and was chair of the Oxford Farming Conference in 2023. Norton has extensive board-level experience, with positions at the Soil Association Exchange, the Environmental Markets Board, and the Duchy of Lancaster. She is a member of the national policy committee of the Country Land and Business Association, a trustee at the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, and a member of the Farming Leadership Group of the Food, Farming & Countryside Commission. AHDB AHDB is a statutory levy board funded by around 100,000 farmers and other businesses in the food supply chain. It states that its purpose is to unlock the success of British agriculture, to help improve business performance, allowing levy payers to be competitive and share good practice. To achieve this, AHDB designs easy-to-use products, tools and services to help equip levy payers to make informed on-farm decisions. This work is underpinned by marketing activity for meat and dairy in the UK and other countries with an international team developing exports opportunities in markets including the Middle East and the Americas, as well as Europe. Established in 2008 and classified as a Non-Departmental Public Body, AHDB supports production of beef, lamb and pork in England, dairy in Great Britain, and cereals and oilseeds in the UK.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sorry civil servants, your WFH dream is over: the public purse demands accountability
It was my greatest achievement of the week. It demanded perseverance, patience and intellect. But I got there. I got through to a chap at the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, my ambition being to seek clarity on eligibility for delinked payments (don't ask). To reach this civil servant, I first manoeuvred deftly through acres of text on the Government's website, before finding a number. I called it and was slightly scared by the, albeit recorded, gruff Northerner who directs calls. And then I waited. And waited. Before my call was finally answered by someone who was very helpful, except that I was struck by the meowing. I mentioned the cat and the man told me: 'Yes, he's asking me to open the kitchen window for him.' It was very charming and all necessary information was usefully conveyed, except, after I ended the call, I wondered how different the world is today. Once upon a time, our civil servants, neatly tucked into their pinstripe suits, grabbed their hat and brolly and made their commute to their office. And there they toiled between Monday and Friday, a nine to five, 48-hour week. Nowadays, the average number of hours worked is 37 and you'll likely find that civil servant, not at a desk in some traditional office garb, but at home, iPad on the kitchen table, dressed in jeans and T-shirt and with a cat on their lap. Which could account for why it takes so long for phones to be answered or emails to be read. All of which is irksome enough for the tax-paying public and was why so many of us cheered when Jacob Rees-Mogg, in April 2022, as minister for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency, left printed notes on the empty desks of civil servants saying, 'So sorry you were out when visited. I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon'. Since Covid, many civil servants now practice what is called 'hybrid working' with, a recent survey showed, 35 per cent saying that when they worked from home, it was in a non-work specific space, so that's the kitchen or in bed. But what is worse is that, as we learnt this week, some of those hybrid workers are not just juggling policy documents and cats, they're nipping off for a few hour's paid work elsewhere, specifically in one case reported as an Uber driver. Flexible working has meant that a considerable number of civil servants are taking on second jobs. And it's becoming increasingly common with public sector workers employed by councils. Wakefield, Enfield and Kensington and Chelsea councils have all reported catching staff who had multiple jobs. And now investigators from the National Fraud Initiative are scouring online forums in which civil servants swap tips about how to best manage a covert second job. There was the thorny issue of diary clashes, for example, when a meeting for the main role was mooted for a time when an individual had a call booked relating to their second job. 'Pretend to have food poisoning,' came the advice. On the online forum Reddit, one person wrote: 'Do all you can to not get caught,' adding that it was important not to draw attention to yourself. 'Do not over-deliver or under-perform. Just be middle of the pack.' We should, of course, be cheered that the National Fraud Initiative is investigating because this duplicitous behaviour is exactly that – fraud. As the Taxpayers' Alliance said this week, 'Some public sector staff are taking taxpayers for a ride. Councils and Whitehall departments must get a grip, root out this kind of abuse, and ensure every penny is spent on delivering services, not funding secret second jobs.' The problem is, how on earth do you bust someone doing a second job? Do agents from the government fraud squad raid suburban houses on a sunny Friday afternoon to see if J Frobisher is moonlighting as a kids' party magician or, worse, working for two councils at the same time? Of course not. The reality is that when people work from home, there is what Gemma Young, Enfield council's former head of internal audit, calls 'reduced oversight'. Or rather, 'having absolutely no clue what Belinda Smith is up to when she's at home'. The change in working patterns post-Covid is a revolution. Which is fine if you work in the private sector and your boss is happy. But if you're in a secure job on the public payroll, it should be different. And there is only one way of ensuring civil servants aren't dallying with a side-hustle and that's to insist they do what, until relatively recently, was regarded as entirely fair and normal. Which is to go to work to an office, nine to five, Monday to Friday. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Sorry civil servants, your WFH dream is over: the public purse demands accountability
It was my greatest achievement of the week. It demanded perseverance, patience and intellect. But I got there. I got through to a chap at the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, my ambition being to seek clarity on eligibility for delinked payments (don't ask). To reach this civil servant, I first manoeuvred deftly through acres of text on the Government's website, before finding a number. I called it and was slightly scared by the, albeit recorded, gruff Northerner who directs calls. And then I waited. And waited. Before my call was finally answered by someone who was very helpful, except that I was struck by the meowing. I mentioned the cat and the man told me: 'Yes, he's asking me to open the kitchen window for him.' It was very charming and all necessary information was usefully conveyed, except, after I ended the call, I wondered how different the world is today. Once upon a time, our civil servants, neatly tucked into their pinstripe suits, grabbed their hat and brolly and made their commute to their office. And there they toiled between Monday and Friday, a nine to five, 48-hour week. Nowadays, the average number of hours worked is 37 and you'll likely find that civil servant, not at a desk in some traditional office garb, but at home, iPad on the kitchen table, dressed in jeans and T-shirt and with a cat on their lap. Which could account for why it takes so long for phones to be answered or emails to be read. All of which is irksome enough for the tax-paying public and was why so many of us cheered when Jacob Rees-Mogg, in April 2022, as minister for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency, left printed notes on the empty desks of civil servants saying, 'So sorry you were out when visited. I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon'. Since Covid, many civil servants now practice what is called 'hybrid working' with, a recent survey showed, 35 per cent saying that when they worked from home, it was in a non-work specific space, so that's the kitchen or in bed. But what is worse is that, as we learnt this week, some of those hybrid workers are not just juggling policy documents and cats, they're nipping off for a few hour's paid work elsewhere, specifically in one case reported as an Uber driver. Flexible working has meant that a considerable number of civil servants are taking on second jobs. And it's becoming increasingly common with public sector workers employed by councils. Wakefield, Enfield and Kensington and Chelsea councils have all reported catching staff who had multiple jobs. And now investigators from the National Fraud Initiative are scouring online forums in which civil servants swap tips about how to best manage a covert second job. There was the thorny issue of diary clashes, for example, when a meeting for the main role was mooted for a time when an individual had a call booked relating to their second job. 'Pretend to have food poisoning,' came the advice. On the online forum Reddit, one person wrote: 'Do all you can to not get caught,' adding that it was important not to draw attention to yourself. 'Do not over-deliver or under-perform. Just be middle of the pack.' We should, of course, be cheered that the National Fraud Initiative is investigating because this duplicitous behaviour is exactly that – fraud. As the Taxpayers' Alliance said this week, 'Some public sector staff are taking taxpayers for a ride. Councils and Whitehall departments must get a grip, root out this kind of abuse, and ensure every penny is spent on delivering services, not funding secret second jobs.' The problem is, how on earth do you bust someone doing a second job? Do agents from the government fraud squad raid suburban houses on a sunny Friday afternoon to see if J Frobisher is moonlighting as a kids' party magician or, worse, working for two councils at the same time? Of course not. The reality is that when people work from home, there is what Gemma Young, Enfield council's former head of internal audit, calls 'reduced oversight'. Or rather, 'having absolutely no clue what Belinda Smith is up to when she's at home'. The change in working patterns post-Covid is a revolution. Which is fine if you work in the private sector and your boss is happy. But if you're in a secure job on the public payroll, it should be different. And there is only one way of ensuring civil servants aren't dallying with a side-hustle and that's to insist they do what, until relatively recently, was regarded as entirely fair and normal. Which is to go to work to an office, nine to five, Monday to Friday.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
'Outrageous' mountain of fly-tipping dumped on street junction
This is a disgusting heap of fly-tipped rubbish left outside a Birmingham park. In a depressingly familiar sight across the city, criminals dumped a pile of mattresses, furniture, wooden boards, blankets and other household waste on the junction of Ward End Park Road on Thursday morning, May 1, instead of disposing it at a tip. Community activist Javed Iqbal filmed scenes in which he branded the perpetrators "scumbags" who "give the whole community a bad name." READ MORE: Huge mobile company shuts down after 15 years and warns customers over closure READ MORE: Birmingham charity thief carried out £260k scams to keep up with wife's wealthy friends READ MORE: Commissioner intervention could be 'scaled back' at Birmingham City Council He said: "Uncollected rubbish is bad enough, but fly-tipping on this scale is outrageous. "We need action, those responsible must be caught, convicted, and held accountable. Get the latest BirminghamLive news direct to your inbox "Let's work together to demand change and protect our communities." Meanwhile, councils will be encouraged to seize and crush vehicles used by fly-tippers, under a scheme being led by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Drones and mobile CCTV cameras will be deployed to identify cars and vans belonging to fly-tippers so they can be destroyed. Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp, click the link to join Anyone caught of transporting fly-tipping could face jail sentences of up to five years. Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed said: "Waste criminals and fly-tippers who blight our towns and villages have gone unpunished for too long. "That ends today. The Government is calling time on fly-tipping. I will not stand by while this avalanche of rubbish buries our communities. "Under the Plan for Change, this Government will seize and crush fly-tippers vans' to clean up Britain's streets."
The Independent
11-03-2025
- General
- The Independent
North Sea collision could be ‘devastating' to already battered area, experts say
The North Sea collision between an oil tanker and a container ship could have a 'devastating' impact on a marine environment already facing multiple pressures – and hit by other wildlife disasters in recent years. Overfishing, the offshore oil industry and more recently the offshore wind sector have turned the North Sea into a 'battered industrial landscape' – and the latest incident could prove to be a setback after some signs of recovery in recent years, experts warned. The Stena Immaculate tanker suffered a ruptured cargo tank when it was struck by the Solong container ship at approximately 10am on Monday, causing 'multiple explosions' and fires, with jet fuel released into the water. Solong owner Ernst Russ said the ship has 'no containers on board ladened with sodium cyanide', after reports circulated that the ship was transporting the chemical, prompting further fears over the incident's environmental damage. Local wildlife trusts have raised concerns about the impact of any pollution from the two vessels on an array of species, including threatened seabird colonies, grey seals, harbour porpoises, fish, and minke whales. Nature-rich sites such as Flamborough Cliffs and the Humber Estuary – where conservationists have been restoring seagrass and oysters – could be hit, campaigners warned. Martin Slater, director of operations at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said East Yorkshire's coast was home to significant colonies of seabirds including puffins, razorbills, gannets and kittiwakes, which were gathering offshore ahead of the nesting season, as well as wintering waders and migrant birds. 'We're very worried indeed about the threat to these birds,' he said. 'If pollution spillage enters the Humber, this could potentially be devasting for the wildlife of the estuary, including important fish stocks and tens of thousands of overwintering and migrating birds who use the mud flats.' It is not the first time in recent years there have been major incidents harming the region's wildlife, with a mass die-off of crustaceans on the coastline from Hartlepool to Whitby between October and December 2021, which saw dying marine creatures washed ashore, 'twitching' and displaying lethargic behaviour. The incident sparked a major debate over the cause, with official investigations initially pointing the finger at a natural algae bloom, before independent research suggested a toxin was to blame. A subsequent panel of independent experts convened by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs chief scientific officer Gideon Henderson later concluded: 'A novel pathogen is considered the most likely cause of mortality.' However, the panel was 'unable to identify a clear and convincing single cause for the unusual crustacean mortality'. More recently, sea bird colonies along the North Sea such as the National Trust's Farne Islands, home to important populations of threatened puffins and other species, were hit by devastating outbreaks of bird flu in 2022 and 2023. And efforts to close UK waters to fishing of sand eels – a key food source for seabirds such as puffins but also targeted for oil and animal feed – have been challenged by the EU. Marine campaigner and founder of the Blue Marine Foundation Charles Clover said: 'The North Sea is a fairly battered industrial landscape, which in places have been showing signs of recovery. It's a tragedy that this has happened.' He added that it was not clear whether the current disaster would have an effect beyond the local area. Mr Clover also said the region had been affected by overfishing, depleting what used to be 'the richest sea on Earth'. 'Its heart, the Dogger Bank, was ruthlessly overfished but now is a marine protected area, so there are some signs of hope.' But he added there were a 'staggering' number of wind turbines going into the North Sea, following on from the much dirtier offshore oil industry, which also potentially affect wildlife such as seabirds and habitats including the seabed.
