Key Issues raised in DEFRA's departmental annual report
Environment Secretary David Miliband highlighted seven key achievements of his new department in Defra's annual report today.
Paying tribute to the previous Ministerial team, Mr Miliband said Defra had made "significant progress" towards the targets set out in its Five Year Strategy in 2004.
Writing in the Departmental Report's foreword, Mr Miliband said the past year's achievements included:
- More powers given to local authorities to tackle fly-tipping, litter and abandoned vehicles.
- The establishment of Natural England and The Commission for Rural Communities to enhance rural life.
- The second phase of the Warm Front Scheme to help households suffering fuel poverty.
- A lifting of the ban on exports of beef and cattle to the EU, reopening markets for British farmers.
- Opening up public access to mountain, moor, heath and down, meeting one of Defra's Public Service Agreement targets.
- The launch of the Marine Fisheries agency to improve services to fishermen and their industry.
- Agreement of new EU chemicals regulations and reform of the sugar regime under the UK's presidency of the EU.
Mr Miliband added: "The next year will be challenging - from the Single Payment Scheme to the Rural Development Programme, the creation of Natural England to the Waste Strategy
"I will be working with colleagues across Government, and with our international partners, to forge an environmental contract that develops the roles and responsibilities of individual citizens and government. We have the opportunity and responsibility to develop a long-term framework for change."
Defra's Departmental Report 2006 is available online at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/deprep/default.htm
