| Author | : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Agriculture Committee |
| File Size | : 45,9 Mb |
| Publisher | : Unknown |
| Language | : English |
| Release Date | : 02 June 2024 |
| ISBN | : 0102053014 |
| Pages | : 57 pages |
Horticulture Research International by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Agriculture Committee Book PDF Summary
This report comments on the restructuring of Horticulture Research International (HRI) which took place in September 2000. It also makes some observations about HRI's relationship with the horticultural industry and with the Government, and about the role of Government in horticultural research. The Committee raised two separate but linked concerns about the restructuring: whether it will result in the necessary improvements in HRI's finances and management, and conversely, whether it will undermine HRI's ability to deliver services to its customers. The report urges that the current management weaknesses are addressed. If this is not done, HRI' financial problems are likely to continue. HRI are due to submit a corporate plan to the Government and the Committee expects it to demonstrate clear plans and targets to ensure that HRI' science and staff base would not be damaged by the restructuring. The report concludes that it is imperative that HRI focus on its remit and the requirements of its customers and that it becomes more responsive to change in the availability of public sector funding. The Committee believes that MAFF should do all it can to assist HRI through resolving the difficulties caused by its current status and through continual monitoring of the restructuring process. It recognises that there is and should be a distinction between the Government's support for HRI and the Government's support for horticulture research in the UK. The Committee regrets that a clear framework for horticulture research was not established before HRI's restructuring programme was developed. The Committee regards it as vital that the Government now set in train a review of its objectives for horticulture research in the UK in order to establish the wider framework within which HRI, as the main recipient of MAFF's horticulture research and development programme is to operate. This should be completed before HRI's next quinquennial review. Research funding is one of the few ways in which public money is given to assist the horticulture sector. There are clearly improvements which should be made to ensure that the strategy behind this expenditure meets the agreed needs of the industry.