It is pretty clear that Defra officials are having to learn what the new team of Ministers are wanting to achieve and thus much less activity than expected.

1. The Government has published legally binding targets to protect the environment, clean up air and rivers and boost nature. The Environmental Improvement Plan setting out how these targets will be achieved will be published this month.

1.It appears that the Government intends major changes to the Environmental Land Management (ELMs) scheme that will see the Local Nature Recovery completely shelved. Further details are due shortly.

1.Virtually all policy matters have been put on hold with the recent shenanigans across Government. However we have a new Ministerial team at Defra with Mark Spencer being the key appointment as far as agriculture is concerned as Minister for Food. Mark used to be a member of the APPG, Dairy.

1. Defra has opened for applications a £12.5 million competition for research and innovation into the development of products such as methane reducing animal feeds and high protein crops.

1.The UK Free Trade Agreement with New Zealand has been signed. All tariffs on UK exports have been eliminated, likewise tariffs on 96.7% of UK imports. A transitional tariff quota will apply to UK imports of beef on a reducing basis, to sheep reducing over 20 years and to butter and cheese reducing over 5 years.

The news that the Agriculture Act has received its Royal Assent is a very significant moment as it moves the UK away from the Common Agricultural Policy and charts a new route forward for British agriculture. The government hopes that this will herald a new system to increase productivity, it is more flexible and supports environmental actions. The Act will be supported by a large number of statutory instruments/secondary legislation which is where the detail will be found; many of them still to be agreed. The key features are: