Government cuts impact horticulture bodies

As the government looks to cut the country’s fiscal deficit, it has scrapped almost 200 so-called quangos, which has had far-reaching effects.

According to Horticulture Week, the axe was wielded across many of the government’s departments and some of the best-known horticultural non-governmental organisations could be affected.

Two renowned bodies that avoided the cuts will be the Environment Agency and Natural England, which have been retained but will go through some serious changes.

Cabinet officer minister Francis Maude explained that they will become "leaner, more efficient front-line delivery bodies".

He added that garden and greenhouse favourite Royal Botanic Gardens Kew would remain "on the grounds of performing a technical function that should remain independent of government".

"As part of the government’s commitment to radically increase the transparency and accountability of all public services, we are reforming a large number of public bodies," Mr Maude said.

The Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal is under consideration, while the Olympic Park Legacy Company has been devolved.

In other garden and greenhouse news, the Royal Horticultural Society recently announced the winners of its Garden Photographer of the Year Awards.