10 Timing issues
103. The Rural Development Regulation (EC Regulation
1257/1999) represents the main legal framework for rural development
measures in the EU. The Regulation's current programme runs until
the end of 2006 and negotiations are underway on its successor,
which is due to come into effect in January 2007. Defra picked
out this start date for the new Rural Development Programme as
a "particular milestone" for implementing the changes
proposed in its Rural Strategy.[187]
The Minister told us that it would be "useful", but
"not absolutely crucial", if the full implementation
of the Strategy coincided with the start of the new EU Rural Development
Programme.[188]
Ministers have argued that the 'shadow' arrangements for new ways
of working by Defra and its agencies, which are already being
put in place, will allow much of the Strategy to be put into effect
in advance of the draft Bill becoming law.[189]
104. The Modernising Rural Delivery Programme has
taken almost two and a half years to reach this stage. Lord Haskins's
review of rural delivery arrangements was announced in November
2002, with a deadline for reporting to Ministers of mid-July 2003.[190]
His report was dated October, but was actually published in November
2003. At the same time, the Secretary of State delivered the Government's
initial response to Parliament, broadly supporting the report's
recommendations.[191]
The Government's Rural Delivery Strategy was announced over eight
months later, on 21 July 2004, and the draft NERC Bill was published
in February 2005.
105. Given the tight timetable for implementing the
proposed changes, any setback is unwelcome. England's RDAs listed
numerous "challenges" that had arisen as a direct result
of "the delayed announcement of the Government's Rural Strategy".[192]
In April 2004, during the hiatus between the publications of Lord
Haskins's Review and the Rural Strategy, we wrote to Defra to
ask what progress had been made in taking forward the Government's
rural delivery agenda. The Minister for Rural Affairs and Local
Environmental Quality, Rt Hon Alun Michael MP, replied in July
2004, explaining that "Modernising Rural Delivery is a very
complex area, with many detailed issues to work through. It is
important we get it right, and this inevitably takes some time".[193]
106. The change process is now very advanced, with
the publication of the draft NERC Bill, the creation of an 'embryo'
CRC within the Countryside Agency and confederated working between
the chairs of the various bodies concerned. English Nature was
concerned that delays in moving ahead to the necessary primary
legislation could lead to a loss of momentum in the process, and
agreed that there could be a cost in delaying.[194]
107. We sympathise
with the Government's desire to implement the Rural Strategy in
time for the start of the new EU Rural Development Programme in
January 2007. Given this target, we were disappointed that the
Government took so long to publish its Rural Strategy once Lord
Haskins had produced his Rural Delivery Review. We are not persuaded
by Defra's arguments as to why it took eight months to publish
the Strategy. The delay has reduced the amount of time for consultation
and agreement on the mechanics of implementation, and for getting
the new administrative building blocks in place. However, now
the reform process is so well advanced, the primary legislation
needed to implement so much of it must not be unnecessarily delayed.
108. The combination of the delay in publishing the
Strategy, and the January 2007 target date, has also squeezed
the time available for considering the draft Bill, which we consider
in Chapter 12.
187 Ev 117 Back
188
Q 347 Back
189
Q 347; Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Minutes
of Evidence and Memoranda, Wednesday 9 February 2005, The Work
of Defra, HC 330-i, Q 80 Back
190
"Working in partnerships to revive the rural economy",
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs news release
453/02, 8 November 2002 Back
191
HC Deb, 11 November 2003, col 11WS Back
192
Ev 28 Back
193
Ev 147 Back
194
Q 500 Back
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