HIGH-LEVEL CONCERNS
He has requested a ministerial call with the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs three times so that the evidence can be independently assessed, but was rejected on each occasion.
A freedom of information request has revealed that the Environment Agency and Natural England had discredited the Harrises in a private briefing to the minister, saying that they had made numerous accusations and accusations of foul play.
When this was disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, both the Environment Agency and Natural England withdrew their allegations and apologised.
The Harrises, who have spent tens of thousands of pounds of their own money, have also been subjected to a statistically improbably high number of audits into their own farming, investigations which Defra, the relevant ministry has been unable to explain adequately.
Correspondence between Norman Lamb and various agencies addressing these matters is included here.