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Damning criticism of RPA ‘long overdue’, says CLA The CLA said today (Tuesday, 20 July) that an independent Review's call for radical improvement at the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) was "long overdue". The Association backed the Review's key findings that there was a lack of "appropriate governance and oversight" within the RPA leadership and Defra, and "considerable gaps" in controls and leadership capability; the Agency's financial processes and controls should be strengthened and customer service improved; and new IT systems need to be developed now for post-2013. CLA President William Worsley said: "This damning criticism of the RPA is long overdue and only confirms what farmers and land managers have known for a long time. Nevertheless, the CLA is horrified with the findings relating to the financial management. It seems very little reliance can be placed on any RPA data and this must be borne in mind when setting future targets. "We welcome the Review and particularly Food and Farming Minister Jim Paice's pledge to personally drive forward progress at the RPA by chairing a new Oversight Board. His determination to change the Agency is encouraging. "There is undoubtedly a vast amount to do but, with a new leadership in place, the RPA could one day provide farmers and land managers with the quality of service they deserve." |
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Christopher Price is the Director Policy and Advice at the CLA. He has overall responsibility for managing all the CLA's national policy and advisory work. He makes sure that the organisation's policy work is focused on what matters most, and that members' queries are dealt with accurately and efficiently. A planning and environmental lawyer by background, he joined the CLA as public law adviser in 2002. He became Chief Legal Advisor in 2007 and took up his current post a year later. Before coming to the CLA Christopher worked in local government for a number of different authorities.
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