The Rural Development Service (RDS) was formerly part of the

UK Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United K ...

(Defra). It ceased to exist on 1 October 2006 following the creation of

Natural England Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna ...

History

The RDS was created in 2001, when the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency merged with the then

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...

's regional service centres. The body was charged with the implementation of the

England Rural Development Programme England Rural Development Programme is the instrument by which the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ( Defra) fulfills its rural development obligations in England, as set out by the European Union. It is derived primarily from ...

(ERDP), as well as a range of other rural services, placing the agency at the forefront of change in rural areas. The RDS employed 1,500, working with rural partners and local people to improve the environment, promote the conservation of wildlife and biodiversity and develop stronger rural economies and communities. Following a review by Christopher Haskins, enacted in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities 2006Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006
in March 2006, the agri-environment element of the RDS was integrated with

English Nature English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006. It was a non-departmental public body funded by the Department for Environmen ...

and most of the

Countryside Agency The Countryside Agency was a statutory body set up in England in 1999 with the task of improving the quality of the rural environment and the lives of those living in it. The agency was dissolved in 2006 and its functions dispersed among other bod ...

on 1 October 2006 to form

. Smaller elements of the RDS went to the State Veterinary Service and the Regional Development Agency in each English region.

References

External links

Official website
archived in April 2006 {{Authority control Defunct public bodies of the United Kingdom Economy of England Environment of England Agriculture in England Organizations disestablished in 2006 Rural development in Europe 2001 establishments in England Government agencies established in 2001 Rural society in the United Kingdom 2006 disestablishments in the United Kingdom