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Written question asked by Lord Elystan-Morgan (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Bach (Labour) on Tuesday, 18 April 2006.

Agriculture: Grassland

Question
What estimates they have made of the likely consequences of the cuts in financial support for grassland-based sustainable research to (a) Welsh agriculture in general and (b) the future of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research in particular.
Answer

Defra procures research to support Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government policies relevant to sustainable agriculture at a range of research establishments including the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER). As IGER is a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) research institute, its future is a matter for the BBSRC and the institute. However, as a customer for the services provided by IGER, Defra has an interest in the maintenance of areas of expertise and service provision that relate to our present and developing needs. IGER continues to be an important research partner for Defra. This is reflected in my department’s continuing significant investment; we are committed to investing over £5 million in research programmes at IGER in 2006–07. No existing research programmes have been terminated early. Defra’s needs for scientific evidence and, therefore, the expertise required within the scientific community to service these needs, are changing. This has been documented in our Science Forward Look¹ and our recent consultation document Evidence and Innovation Strategy². We look to the UK science and engineering base as a whole, including public sector research institutes, the higher education institutions and the private sector, to provide the expertise required to support the delivery of our strategic priorities. ¹ Evidence and innovation: Defra’s needs from the sciences over the next 10 years, July 2004 www.defra.gov.uk/science/publications/documents/ScienceForwardLook3rd.pdf. ² Evidence and Innovation Strategy 2005–08: consultation document issued October 2005; www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/ei-straiecty/eis-consultdoc.pdf.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
4208; 680 c160WA
Session
2005-06
Subjects
Agriculture Finance Sustainable development Wales Research Grasslands Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk