NFU says reduce £530m cost of admin burden on business

The NFU has submitted 19 policy areas for deregulation as part of Defra's target to reduce administrative costs on farming business by 25 per cent by 2010.

In a letter to Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural affairs David Miliband, the NFU has also recommended the launch of a farm regulation sector working group to help identify and reduce regulatory burdens on the industry.

NFU President Peter Kendall said: "The cost of regulation is not simply about compliance and licence charges but more significantly, time. With 19 areas identified where over implementation of regulation has occurred reducing this burden on farmers will go a long way to easing red tape pressures on the industry.

"Our submission also highlights areas where UK farmers have been disadvantaged by over implementation of regulations, compared with other EU member states and we want to see a level playing field to guarantee UK agriculture remains competitive."

The simplification and deregulation proposals include:

· Removal of over-lap between Government Dairy Hygiene Inspections and dairy assurance inspections

· Abolition of the Hedgerows Regulations

· Reduced fees for Integrated Pollution and Prevention Controls

· Removal of set aside in the next CAP health check

· Simplification of Livestock Movement Controls

· Abolition of the Agriculture Wages Board which duplicates the setting of the national minimum wage

Energy Aid, Seed Marketing Regulations and further submission on the IPPC have also been made.