Will the Cabinet Secretary state how the Welsh Government cooperates with DEFRA on agricultural research programmes, and provide a list of such programmes?
The UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) manages agricultural (and environmental) research budgets on behalf of England and Wales.
We work closely with our counterparts to ensure we are fully engaged in agreeing priorities for relevant research expenditure. The Welsh Government are members of shared management and coordination groups for evidence (where appropriate) such as the Group Evidence Science and Analysis Committee to ensure our policy requirements are considered in relation to spend and priority setting.
Current projects are listed below.
Welsh Government cooperation with Defra on
Agricultural Research Programmes
Defra funded England & Wales research with Welsh Government input - currently awaiting publication:
- Soil depth and function
- Soil erosion
Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) Technical Group (Joint technical working group between Welsh Government, Defra Soil Policy and Natural England):
- Current project is to update ALC Guidance jointly being undertaken by all three organisations but led by Defra Soil Policy.
Predictive Agricultural Land Classification Modelling Project:
- A Welsh Government led and funded project covering Wales only with technical input and scrutiny provided from Natural England soil specialists & Defra Soil Policy.
Animal Health and Welfare Research Projects
- Bovine TB
- Animal Welfare
- Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
- Bacterial and viral diseases.
Centre of Excellence for Earth Observation
- The Welsh Government are actively engaged with the Defra Centre of Excellence for Earth Observation (EO) and the development of the joint work plan to maximise the benefits for the evidence base (realising the opportunities of EO will inform monitoring programmes across a range of areas).
Pollinator Monitoring Coordination Group
Welsh Government is a member of the Pollinator Monitoring Coordination Group (PMCG), chaired by Defra and includes the Scottish Government and the NI Executive.
- The Pollinator Monitoring Coordination Group brings together groups involved in funding, undertaking and designing monitoring of insect pollinators, including via agri-environment monitoring, to initiate, coordinate and support action to strengthen our understanding of how pollinators and pollination services change over time and in different regions and land use types.
Pollinator Monitoring Programme
Welsh Government contributes to the Defra-led UK Pollinator Monitoring Programme for the three-year period 2016-17 to 2018-19. The project has two main aims:
- To deliver a core monitoring programme that can assess how pollinator populations are changing in the UK; and
- To develop and support externally-funded research applications to enhance our understanding of the threats to pollinators and the links between pollinators and pollination services which play a key role in the farming industry.