He said that with the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy resulting in hand-outs being switched away from food production and into environmental schemes, it would be important to ensure that farmers delivered value for money. He envisages the new agency taking over the conservation role of English Nature, the Government’s leading wildlife advisers, and taking on extra responsibilities for agri-environment schemes and other policies which affect the land. These could include the “right to roam,” rural tourism and possibly hunting.

He said: “I have visited France and Germany and my experience is that agri-environment schemes are very expensive. We must make sure they will give value for money.” The Treasury is worried about paying farmers for looking after the land instead of producing food. Lord Haskins, however, believes a formal inspection role given to the new landscape agency will answer these concerns and also satisfy the National Audit Office that the cash is well spent for the public good.

He wants more responsibility handed to the regions and for civil servants to ensure they develop policies that are workable. “We must have a change of culture where officials go outside their ivory tower and make sure that their policies are realistic.”

Civil servants fear his plans could result in a loss of jobs, but Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said she was looking forward to the final report and hoped it would produce “imaginative and effective” proposals.

English Nature, which has an annual budget of £72.3million, said yesterday that it was looking forward to working with Lord Haskins to define an action plan for change.

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