Further DEFRA Cuts June 15, 2015 12:00 am DEFRA will face cuts of a further £83 million from its 2015/16 budget as part of wider government austerity plans. This is around 4% of its budget, with additional cuts expected after 2016. This again raises the question of how long DEFRA can remain an independent department. Since 2010/11 its budget has been cut by nearly 25%.