The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2004 regulation taskforce report highlighted the need for a new approach to the regulation of farming. Earlier this year, the Government renewed their commitment to regulating better and cutting bureaucratic burdens for industry, in the wake of the Better Regulation Task Force report, "Regulation—Less is More" and Sir Philip Hampton's review on inspection and enforcement.I am therefore pleased to announce the launch today of Partners for Success, DEFRA's farm regulation and charging strategy, which is the first Government strategy to apply this new better regulation agenda to a specific sector of the economy.The strategy heralds a new partnership between the Government and the farming industry, with a long-term vision for the future of regulation and charging.By improving the way we regulate and enforce farm regulation, we will make it easier for farmers to comply, helping to improve the long-term sustainability of the sector: environmental, social, and economic.The strategy commits us to cutting red tape for farmers, notably by reducing form-filling. This is part of DEFRA's commitment to reduce administrative burdens on business by 25 per cent. by 2009. It will help make regulation more efficient from the perspective of the customer, and help them to focus on getting results—on productivity, the environment, animal health and welfare, food safety, and worker health and safety.Farmers too will need to play their part in making the strategy a reality, especially by managing the risks of their operations and reducing the unwelcome impacts of their activities.Input from farmers, their representative bodies, wider rural interests, regulators and Government Departments has been invaluable in shaping the strategy. We will continue to work together over the next six months to develop success criteria for the strategy.I am placing copies of the strategy and the accompanying action plan in both Libraries of the House.

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