Miliband announces partial single farm payment plan for 2006 claims
Farmers in England will get a partial single farm payment in February 2007, if the Rural Payments Agency has failed to pay a full payment before that date.
DEFRA secretary David Miliband made the announcement in an oral statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday (7 November).
Mr Miliband said that full payments would be made where possible, but partial payments would start in mid-February to everyone else.
It was anticipated that the partial payment run would take three weeks to complete and would be worth at least 50% of the value of the claim, he said.
The news has been greeted with a chorus of disapproval from the farming industry, which had asked for an 80% partial payment to be paid in December 2006.
A joint statement from the NFU, Country Land and Business Association and Tenant Farmers Association said it was too little too late for many farmers and the rural economy was continuing to pay the price for government incompetence.
“This confirms our worst fears about the ability of the RPA to deliver 2006 single payments. We have strongly argued for a part payment and for a clear timetable, so to that extent, we are relieved David Miliband has listened to our case.
“However this still leaves much of the industry in financial difficulties and we are very disappointed the payment is less and later than we wanted.
“We do recognise ministers’ determination not to make promises they cannot keep, but we sincerely hope this really is the worst case scenario and in practice more than 50 per cent will be paid earlier than the end of February.”