Minister outlines Defra vision for open data, food and farming

Defra secretary Liz Truss has given farmers a glimpse into the future about how she intends to shape future policy at Defra.

In a speech delivered to the Institute for Government in London on Monday (1 February), Ms Truss outlined her vision for reforming the department.

The minister covered a range of topics, including red tape, farm inspections, Defra’s open data plan, its 25-year environment plan, technology integration and the economy.

See also: Truss on BPS, a possible EU exit and the badger cull

Ms Truss spoke of how she wanted to put nature at the heart of farming, improve productivity while minimising the burdens of regulation.

Here are some of the main soundbites of her speech.

Truss on the internet…

“The arrival of the internet did not just mean automating what we already did. It meant companies making huge efficiency savings and the whole culture of organisations changing. Layers of management were stripped out and we had to be more nimble and responsive.”

Truss on governance…

“If we want Britain to lead the world, our governance needs to lead the world too. It needs to enable talent and enterprise, to do less – and where it acts to be more productive and more open to ideas.”

Truss on global changes…

“We face ever-fiercer global competition and shifting patterns of climate, trade and economic power. To meet these challenges, our productivity must match and exceed the level of the best-performing nations.”

Truss on the future of Defra…

“In the case of Defra, we have seen the number of organisations reduced from more than 90 in 2010 to today’s 34. I want Defra to be leading the way in the next phase of change and I believe the four key principles are about government being more integrated, open, modern and local.”

Truss on technology integration…

“The technology revolution means people today expect responsiveness and seamlessness – they want services shaped around their needs, not around organisational convenience.”

Truss on Defra’s 25-year environment plan…

“When community groups, NGOs, farmers and businesses talk to us, they won’t be passed from pillar to post. Natural England and the Environment Agency will be maintained while more flexible operations will mean the same spending delivering results several times over. We will share the same IT, HR and communications, releasing resources for the front line.”

Truss on British nature and landscapes…

“There are too many people in our country who are not aware of these natural wonders or how food is produced. They are not benefiting from the experience of climbing Catbells in the Lake District or visiting the National Arboretum in Gloucestershire.”

Truss on Defra’s open data plan…

“Defra is at the forefront of the open data revolution. By June, we will be on target to release 8,000 datasets as I promised last summer.”

Truss on farm inspections…

“Our Single Farm Inspection Taskforce, which we promised in our manifesto, will cut tens of thousands of official visits – without sacrificing standards. This all reduces the time and money people will have to spend dealing with us so that by 2020 we will have swept away £470m worth of unnecessary costs for businesses.”

Truss on the economy…

“Just as our economy was turned around in the 1980s, in this turnaround decade we are creating a state that is more responsive to people and place and the realities of a more integrated and open world.”

Tell us your views on Liz Truss’s plans. Contact the newsdesk on 020 8652 4905, email: philip.case@rbi.co.uk or send a tweet to: @farmersweekly