Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Parliament Rt Hon Michael Jack MP (Dod's copyright image)

Rt Hon
Michael Jack MP (Chairman)

Welcome to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee's website.

The Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and its associated public bodies including the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Commission for Rural Communities.

The present Committee was nominated in July 2005 and has 14 Members. The wide variety of work undertaken by the Committee can be viewed using the Current Inquiries and Reports and Publications sections. The Committee has the power to set up a Sub-committee, and has in the past chosen to do so on an ad hoc basis, setting up smaller groups to look at specific topics such as British Waterways, the Rural Payments Agency and the information provided on food labelling.

More about the Committee | Attending meetings | Evidence |
Formal Minutes | Correspondence with Defra | Parliament Live

Current Inquiries | Recent Inquiries and Major Reports | Inquiries by Subject

Latest News

  • GOVERNMENT RESPONSES PUBLISHED

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has received responses from the Government to the following reports:

• Fifth Report of Session 2008-09, Draft Flood and Water Management Bill, which was published on 23 September 2009. The Government's response was published as a Command Paper, November 2009 (CM 7741)

• Fourth Report of Session 2008-09, Securing food supplies up to 2050: the challenges faced by the UK, which was published on 21 July 2009 as HC 213-I. The Government’s response was published as a Special Report on 19 October 2009 (HC 1022).

• Fifth Report of Session 2008-09, Ofwat Price Review 2009, which was published on 22 July 2009 as HC 554-I. The Government’s response was published as a Special Report on 19 October 2009 (HC 1023).

• Third Report of Session 2008-09, Energy efficiency and fuel poverty, which was published on 10 June 2009 as HC 37. The Government’s response was published as a Command Paper, October 2009 (CM 7719).

Current Inquiries

The National Forest (Oral evidence sessions concluded)

Appointment of the Chair of Natural England (Publication of Report 02/12/09)

Dairy Farmers of Britain (Oral evidence in progress )
Defra's Departmental Report 2009 (Oral evidence concluded)

Defra science (Inquiry announced)

Draft Flood and Water Management Bill (Report published 23 September 2009; Government response issued November 2009)

Waste Strategy for England 2007 (Publication of Report 19/01/10 )

  

Recent Inquiries

Badgers and cattle TB: the final report of the Independent Scientific Group on cattle TB (Report published 27 February 2008; Report and Gov't Response published 23rd July 2008; Gov't response published 9 October 2008 (on website) and 22 January 2009 (in hard copy))

Draft Marine Bill: Coastal Access Provisions (Report published 22 July 2008, Gov't Response issued September 2008)

Defra's Departmental Report 2008 (Oral and written evidence published 3 February 2009)

Energy efficiency and fuel poverty (Report published 10 June 2009; Government response issued October 2009)

English pig industry (Report published 13 January 2009; Gov't Response published 2 April 2009)

Flooding (Report published 7 May 2008; Gov't Response published 8 July 2008; Further oral and written evidence published 21 May 2009)

Ofwat’s Price Review 2009 (Report published 22 July; Government response published 19 October 2009)

Securing food supplies up to 2050: the challenges faced by  the UK (Report published 21 July 2009; Government response published 19 October 2009)

The potential of England's rural economy (Report published 29 October 2008; Gov't Response published 21 January 2009)

 

Inquiries by subject

Environment | Food, Farming and Fisheries | Land Use and Rural Affairs | Animal Health and Welfare and Veterinary Services | Administration and Associated Public Bodies