Tuesday 3 March,
10.00, in Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster
The new Permanent Secretary of the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), , will be questioned on
perceived shortcomings and examples of poor
communication with its stakeholders.
The Department has seen an 8% headcount reduction
since July 2024, with a further
5% staffing cut planned for 2025/26. Staff
turnover hit 10% in 2024/25 amid concerns of uncompetitive
pay compared with the private sector.
Mr Kissack, who took up the post in October 2025, will be
joined by three other senior DEFRA officials (details
below).
They are likely to be questioned on issues around
Environmental Land Management schemes and Sustainable Farming
Incentives which both experienced sudden
closures or gaps in support.
The cross-party Committee is also likely to raise examples of
delays to major strategy documents, including the Farming
Roadmap, the Lane Use Framework and the Circular
Economy Strategy. DEFRA has said these documents
are due this year having been expected in 2025.
During a visit to fishing businesses in Brixham in 2025, the
Committee heard complaints of fragmented policymaking,
despite rising regulatory demands and increasing workloads for
small boats. Funding schemes were also criticised for being
poorly administered, with larger operators learning of schemes
earlier and securing advantage.
MPs are also likely to raise concerns about DEFRA's capacity
to respond, and work cross-government, when major incidents
occur such as livestock disease outbreaks, flooding or
environmental disasters.
Witnesses from 10.00am:
-
, Permanent Secretary,
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- David Hill, Director General for Strategy and
Water, Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs
- Emma Bourne, Director General for EU Reset and
Trade, Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs
- Iain King, Chief Financial Officer, Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
