To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether research projects into agriculture were affected by his Department’s recent budget cuts; and if he will make a statement. (109968)

No ongoing agricultural research projects have been affected by recent budgetary reductions.

DEFRA allocated over £150 million to research and development (R and D) in 2006-07, reflecting the value the Department places on research. As such while R and D budgets have been assessed as part of the wider departmental budgetary changes, they have been comparatively well-protected. For example, through managing the start dates of planned new work, savings of around 5 per cent. have been realised for 2006-07 from the Sustainable Farming and Food R and D Programme.