The House of Lords select committee’s Countryside at a Crossroads report has highlighted the negative impact cutbacks have had on the social and economic welfare of rural areas, and proposes that the responsibility for rural policy be transferred from DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. In the Consultation and Engagement section of this newsletter there is a DEFRA consultation on the future of agricultural policy. To read the report please click here.