RPA chief executive says there will be SPS improvements

THE CHIEF Executive of the Rural Payments Agency has said farmers should see “improvements” in the way the Single Payment Scheme is handled next year.

In the foreword to the RPA’s annual report, Johnston McNeill said he accepted there were lessons to learned from this year’s experiences.

But he wrote that these lessons “will lead to improvements as we prepare for the second year of the scheme”.

Mr Johnston said that 2004/5 had been a year of transition as the agricultural industry leaves behind production-linked subsidy schemes.

But he added: “We have responded positively to the challenge of introducing the new scheme, whilst maintaining our high level of customer delivery and accepting that there are lessons to be learnt in dealing with the impact on customers of introducing a new scheme of this magnitude.

“We continue to work with our partners, stakeholders and customers to ensure that we deliver the highest level of service.”