Janet Hughes DEFRA Missing in action?

[topground]

With the sign up deadline for the SFI pilot looming and with the level of suspicion surrounding the contract on offer I find it odd that there has been no sign of @Janet Hughes Defra since 7th October to answer questions.
If seems a strange time to abandon communication by DEFRA and even, heaven forbid Janet Hughes is indisposed, it should not be beyond the wit of DEFRA to put up a substitute.
Perhaps the questions all became a little too difficult and the scam and sham that is the SFI pilot has been exposed.

It could be the plan by the civil service is to blame the farmers for not cooperating with their elaborate charade when it was never workable.
Whatever the reason for two weeks of non engagement, in the words of Private Eye; ‘We should be told!’

 

[delilah]

Janet should never have begun engaging on here. When she did I gave it a week. For the same reasons that the NFU and other bodies in the firing line shouldn't engage on here. It isn't constructive. Read relevant threads, yes. Put relevant information up in the form of press releases etc, yes. But get into conversations, no. It's not a constructive use of their time.

 

[spin cycle]

Janet should never have begun engaging on here. When she did I gave it a week. For the same reasons that the NFU and other bodies in the firing line shouldn't engage on here. It isn't constructive. Read relevant threads, yes. Put relevant information up in the form of press releases etc, yes. But get into conversations, no. It's not a constructive use of their time.

WTF

 

[delilah]

WTF

Why ? I have said on here on more than one occasion why the NFU shouldn't get into conversations, and the exact same reasons apply. It isn't fair on the individual, who can never win as it's a fundamentally lopsided conversation.

As said, they should read it all and take it all onboard. And put generic info up that answers queries. But that should be it. Best use of their time and ours.

 

[steveR]

Janet should never have begun engaging on here. When she did I gave it a week. For the same reasons that the NFU and other bodies in the firing line shouldn't engage on here. It isn't constructive. Read relevant threads, yes. Put relevant information up in the form of press releases etc, yes. But get into conversations, no. It's not a constructive use of their time.

I agree. The Q&A sessions with Clive were useful however, as there was in effect, a Moderator.

I found the text sessions afterwards good and gave a real ability to have something akin to 2 way feedback, but there is no way JH was going continue to interact for long.

I am pulling together my thoughts and criticisms and will email it to them shortly...

 

[Bury the Trash]

maybe she got covid.

 

[Clive]

With the sign up deadline for the SFI pilot looming and the with level of suspicion surrounding the contract on offer I find it odd that there has been no sign of @Janet Hughes Defra since 7th October to answer questions.
If seems a strange time to abandon communication by DEFRA and even, heaven forbid Janet Hughes is indisposed, it should not be beyond the wit of DEFRA to put up a substitute.
Perhaps the questions all became a little too difficult and the scam and sham that is the SFI pilot has been exposed.

It could be the plan by the civil service is to blame the farmers for not cooperating with their elaborate charade when it was never workable.
Whatever the reason for two weeks of non engagement, in the words of Private Eye; ‘We should be told!’

there is a plan to run regular q&a sessions as Janet said she enjoyed the first session we did, just need to nail some dates down really but it will happen

 

[Clive]

I agree. The Q&A sessions with Clive were useful however, as there was in effect, a Moderator.

I found the text sessions afterwards good and gave a real ability to have something akin to 2 way feedback, but there is no way JH was going continue to interact for long.

I am pulling together my thoughts and criticisms and will email it to them shortly...

we used the up / down vote system on the last one I did to avoid any bias in the questions

howver I think future q&a‘s will be live

dates tbc but soon hopefully, Defra are certainly very keen to engage on this forum now

 

[steveR]

we used the up / down vote system on the last one I did to avoid any bias in the questions

howver I think future q&a‘s will be live

dates tbc but soon hopefully, Defra are certainly very keen to engage on this forum now

Good to hear @Clive, on both counts...!

Not sure what could have been construed as "bias" though...? Granted the gobby* participants here tended to push forward their viewpoints and ideas, but this is always the case surely? The up/down system filtered the more popular or ideas of interest, really well.





* I will admit to the odd spot of gobbiness here.

 

[neilo]

@Clive will someone be on hand to filter out questions from Welsh & Scottish posters next time? They just confuse things imo.

Although I looked in out of interest, mostly in case our lot are daft enough to replicate it, I appreciate it isn’t really relevant to any of us farming over the border(s). Any representatives of DEFRA aren’t going to know where posters farm, unless it’s somehow flagged up to them, or the posts edited out.

 

[steveR]

@Clive will someone be on hand to filter out questions from Welsh & Scottish posters next time? They just confuse things imo.

Although I looked in out of interest, mostly in case our lot are daft enough to replicate it, I appreciate it isn’t really relevant to any of us farming over the border(s). Any representatives of DEFRA aren’t going to know where posters farm, unless it’s somehow flagged up to them, or the posts edited out.

Excellent point this.

 

[Grass And Grain]

@Clive will someone be on hand to filter out questions from Welsh & Scottish posters next time? They just confuse things imo.

Although I looked in out of interest, mostly in case our lot are daft enough to replicate it, I appreciate it isn’t really relevant to any of us farming over the border(s). Any representatives of DEFRA aren’t going to know where posters farm, unless it’s somehow flagged up to them, or the posts edited out.

Welsh land price will rocket as English farmers flock to relocate to a country with a sensible ag payment system!

Hopefully for you guys, your government won't copy ours!

 

[Henarar]

Welsh land price will rocket as English farmers flock to relocate to a country with a sensible ag payment system!

Hopefully for you guys, your government won't copy ours!

Won't be art to copy worth aving the way they be carrying on

 

[neilo]

Welsh land price will rocket as English farmers flock to relocate to a country with a sensible ag payment system!

Hopefully for you guys, your government won't copy ours!

I had an email invitation to apply to be part of the co-design group for the Welsh 'Sustainable Farming Scheme' a couple of days ago, as did anyone else that has done telephone interviews on it previously I expect. Some way behind DEFRA's plans, but starting to think about doing something I suppose...

 

[Still Farming]

@Clive will someone be on hand to filter out questions from Welsh & Scottish posters next time? They just confuse things imo.

Although I looked in out of interest, mostly in case our lot are daft enough to replicate it, I appreciate it isn’t really relevant to any of us farming over the border(s). Any representatives of DEFRA aren’t going to know where posters farm, unless it’s somehow flagged up to them, or the posts edited out.

National Policies do influence devolved powers wether you think it does or not thus questions need addressing from the top.

 

[Still Farming]

I had an email invitation to apply to be part of the co-design group for the Welsh 'Sustainable Farming Scheme' a couple of days ago, as did anyone else that has done telephone interviews on it previously I expect. Some way behind DEFRA's plans, but starting to think about doing something I suppose...

That was weeks ago?

 

[neilo]

That was weeks ago?

No, email was three days ago. Applications to be in by November 8th.

The telephone interviews were months back.

 

[neilo]

National Policies do influence devolved powers wether you think it does or not thus questions need addressing from the top.

No. Ag policy is devolved. We could have a very different system to my neighbours just over the hedge in England (hopefully).

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

Welsh land price will rocket as English farmers flock to relocate to a country with a sensible ag payment system!

Hopefully for you guys, your government won't copy ours!

Do wonder if some may take the retirement payment and move to Wales or Scotland and carry on farming, potentially able to claim devolved subs, and maybe a more farming friendly Ag policy?

 

[Courier]

Do wonder if some may take the retirement payment and move to Wales or Scotland and carry on farming, potentially able to claim devolved subs, and maybe a more farming friendly Ag policy?

Sssssh. Stop giving other folk ideas !