Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much was spent on research by her Department in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice

Research and development (R&D), analysis and monitoring and surveillance provide important input into evidence for decision-making, ensuring Defra’s polices are based on a sound, comprehensive understanding of current evidence. It helps us find new policy solutions and identify and tackle future issues.

The term ‘evidence’ encompasses material from a variety of disciplines – science research, statistics, economics, social research or operational research, and geographical information.

Core Defra’s spend in ‘evidence’, including its share of Research & Development (R&D), during the last five years is summarised in the table below.

These figures include work commissioned by core Defra from its laboratory agencies, namely the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science; the Food and Environment Research Agency and the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Due to both financial factors and wider changes in the context for how research and innovation are being organised (e.g. as set out in the Higher Education White Paper), Defra’s approach is evolving more towards that of consumer rather than commissioner of research. Defra’s role will be to set out its key evidence needs and work with providers to co-design research and other evidence, increasingly looking to the wider stakeholder community to deliver the necessary evidence. For that to work effectively Defra will strengthen relationships with research councils, other research funders, other government departments and other overseas governments.