NO QUICK REMEDY FOR TROUBLED FARMING SUBSISDIES
March 27, 2007 3:20 PM
The fallout from Government inefficiency over the rural Single Payment Scheme continues to be felt In North Devon.
'It's yet more platitudes from the Government for our farmers,' says Nick Harvey. 'Unfortunately it seems to be business as usual for the Rural Payments Agency, according to the recently published Hunter Review. The latter highlights the problems but is short on immediate remedies after two years of foul ups.'
According to the Hunter review the SPS is to remain for the foreseeable future.
'Its taken a year to produce this review and there still seems no light at the end of the tunnel for farmers with the tangled mess that is the Single Payments Scheme,' adds Nick Harvey.
The current scheme is likely to last until 2020. The failed legacy of 2005 and 2006 means that there can be no immediate structural changes lest they threaten the RPA's ability to deliver next year, thereby further thwarting attempts to rectify the situation.
Nick Harvey concludes: 'If the RPA is to pull its socks up it will have to deal with claims within each 12 month period, on best available evidence I can't see this being achieved. Farmers have every right to be sick and tired of this continuing ineptitude.'
The RPA remains subject to ongoing investigations by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, the Public Accounts Committee and the Office of Government Commerce.
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