Rural Payments Agency report

Thursday, 29 Mar 2007 08:29

Tories: Ministers rewarded for farm payments failure

Farmers lost millions due to payment failures

Thursday, 29, Mar 2007 12:00

The Conservatives have accused the government of failing to take responsibility for the "debacle" of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and single payment scheme (SPS) to farmers.

Commenting on the environment, food and rural affairs committee report into the late payments to farmers, shadow agriculture minister Jim Paice said the "scathing critique" was "fully warranted".

"Despite their failure, senior ministers walked free from the wreckage, leaving behind them hardship among farmers and disruption to the rural community," he said.

The committee criticised the former environment secretary Margaret Beckett and said she, and senior civil servants, should "consider their positions".

Mr Paice said: "The fact that Margaret Beckett was rewarded for her incompetence by promotion to the Foreign Office says a great deal about the government's contempt not only for accountability but for the farming community.

"Those now in charge must get on with the job of making payments to farmers and minimising the amount taxpayers have to pay as a result of ministerial bungling."

Govt: Confident RPA can deliver on payments

Countryside Alliance: Double whammy of RPA failure

NFU: Defra was warned about payment problems

Lib Dems: Heads should have rolled over RPA failure

Tories: Ministers rewarded for farm payments failure

Committee: Farm payments scheme a catastrophe

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