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DEFRA must respond to devastating EFRA report says CLA "DEFRA and the Rural Payments Agency should read this report carefully and heed its recommendations," said Dr. Derrick Wilkinson, senior economist at the CLA following the publication today (Thursday 29 March) of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee report into the implementation by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) of the Single Payment Scheme. Derrick Wilkinson continued: "It provides an excellent account of the managerial bungling that caused the fiasco with the launch of the single farm payment.
"The report highlights the uncertainties and in some cases the sheer lack of advice provided by the RPA during the early days of the new system. Nevertheless, many of the farmers who also had to grapple with a new system and relied on RPA advice were penalised heavily for even the smallest of errors during the application process.
"The RPA originally said they would 'take a light touch' to minor infractions, but instead we have seen a consistently heavy-handed approach. Failure to make payments on time, poor communication, disproportionate penalties and an appeal system that remains fundamentally flawed have shattered confidence in both DEFRA and the RPA who must now publish a comprehensive reply to this report, demonstrating that they have learned from their many mistakes. That's the least they can do.
"Although there are signs of improvement at the RPA, much remains to be done, and we will have to see how they cope with the further changes to the Single Farm Payment expected by 2009" concluded Dr Wilkinson. |
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More articles and documents [News Archive] [22 November 2011] GN05-12 Permanent Pasture/Grassland Requirements - the current rules under the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) and proposed permanent grassland requirements under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform [Guidance notes] [5 March 2012] Farming without subsidies - CLA's appearance before the EFRA select committee Wednesday, 8 May 2002 [Consultation response archive] [13 January 2003] |
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