Working across Government
69. Much of Defra's work requires the co-operation
of other Government departments and agencies. In previous years,
we have expressed concern about the Department's ability to influence
other 'actors' across Government and to demonstrate sufficient
clout to be taken seriously by other departments in framing their
key policy decisions.[112]
Last year, we expressed disappointment in our report on Climate
change: the role of bioenergy that much of the evidence we
received suggested "a distinct lack of 'joined-up Government
concerning bioenergy". We concluded that Defra appeared to
have "all of the targets and none of the levers".[113]
70. In our July evidence session, we asked the Permanent
Secretary whether Defra's 'clout factor' had improved in the previous
twelve months in its dealings with other Government departments,
particularly in relation to its work on climate change. She told
us that the Department's clout had increased "markedly"
in this time.[114]
She gave four examples from the previous twelve months which she
believed demonstrated the Department making a difference on climate
change. They were:
- the outcome of the negotiations
on the EU Emissions Trading Scheme—Defra had worked "very
effectively" with other Government departments during the
negotiations for the scheme, at both the political and departmental
level;
- the Government's Energy Review—the Department's
"excellent evidence and skills base" and "good
networking and influencing skills" had ensured the Review
was "an extremely well-balanced package";
- the Montreal talks on climate change—the
Department's "very effective joined-up working across Government",
particularly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the
Department for International Development, had helped the former
Secretary of State's success at the talks in engaging the United
States;
- the Climate Change Programme Review—the
Review was a "good example of cross-departmental working",
although it still "fell short" of some of the Department's
climate change aims.[115]
71. We wanted to know how the Department could further
improve its relationships across Government. The Permanent Secretary
said it was particularly important that the Department improved
its relationships with local government, Regional Development
Agencies (RDAs) and the Department for Communities and Local Government
(DCLG) in the near future, in order to deal with some "very
tricky" issues relating to the appropriate use of land and
the rural services and economy.[116]
The Permanent Secretary also wanted the Department to be "even
more engaged in the local government agenda", with a "greater
knitting together" of policies being developed by the DCLG
around city regions, local area agreements and for economic development
with RDAs.[117]
72. On several occasions in the past we have stressed
the necessity of effective 'joined-up Government' in achieving
Defra's aims, and expressed concerns that Defra lacks sufficient
'clout' to be taken seriously by other Government departments
in framing their key policy decisions. We agree with the Permanent
Secretary that Defra has had some success in influencing some
major decisions at the highest level in recent times, and in working
effectively with other Government departments. However, we are
still concerned that Defra's ability to influence other departments
on a number of issues it considers important—such as bioenergy—remains
limited. We recommend that the Department works to take full ownership
of the decision-making process for those areas for which it has
overall policy responsibility. This is especially relevant for
climate change issues where Government as a whole has still to
put a Cabinet-level minister in overall charge of policy in this
area.
73. We were also disappointed at the lack of concrete
examples provided in the Report about policy co-ordination across
Government, and the Department's role in this co-ordination. In
particular, we believe that the Report should include more information
about the important work carried out by the various Cabinet Committees
that deal with areas of Defra's remit. We recommend that future
Departmental Reports provide information about what has been achieved
through these mechanisms.
104 
