Today's Guardian reports: "Spending cuts on recycling, canals, wildlife conservation and forestry were announced yesterday by Hilary Benn, the environment secretary. But more cash from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is to be given to flood defences, low-carbon energy projects, waste and incineration, farm subsidies and fighting animal diseases.
"The move is part of a recasting of the department's £3.94bn budget following a ministerial crisis meeting at the beginning of the month after officials realised that the department was facing a £1bn overspend in the next three years. "It will mean the end of much ministry support for business, cuts in consultant contracts, closure of offices and voluntary redundancy for 1,400 of Defra's staff. The Waste and Resources Action Programme, which promotes recycling, sees a 30% funding cut, from £59m to £43.2m, while British Waterways has its funding cut from £48.5m to £34.1m. Natural England, which looks after conservation and wildlife, faces a £5m reduction to £176m. Kew Gardens and Encams, which runs the Keep Britain Tidy campaign, have had their budgets frozen." The full story is at http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/feb/22/greenpolitics.hilarybenn -- Nigel Stanley
