Government ordered to repay 35m farm aid

By FWi staff

THE Government has been ordered to repay £35 million in farm aid to Brussels.

European Union officials said yesterday that the UK had failed to guarantee proper distribution of the money to farmers. Most of the money was distributed to farmers under the ewe premium scheme during 1994.

Under EU Commission rules, individual member states are responsible for distributing cash grants from Brussels. Italy must pay back £70m.