Question
What progress his Department has made in meeting service delivery targets set out in Commitment to Service. - Inc table.
Answer
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress his Department has made in meeting service delivery targets set out in "Commitment to Service".[39008] Mr. Douglas Hogg: The table sets out the performance achieved by regional service centres against the targets set in "Commitment to Service", second edition. RSC performance data (percentage) for financial year 1995-96 unless otherwise specified _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Total{1} Arable area payments scheme{2} Payments 86 Beef special premium scheme{3} Advance payments (1994) 97 Balance payments (1994) 99 Applications (1995) CID return 99 Claims (1995) CID Return 99 Suckler cow premium scheme Balance payments 1994 99 Advance payments 1995 99 Hill livestock compensatory allowances{4} Claims 1995 83 Sheep annual premium scheme{5} Claims marketing year 1995 99 Agricultural improvement scheme Plan claims 94 Environmentally sensitive areas Applications 99 Claims 99 Environmentally sensitive areas conservation Applications 97 plan Claims 96 Farm and conservation grant scheme 1989 Plan claims 99 Non plan claims 99 Farm and conservation grant scheme 1991 Plan applications 100 Plan claims 99 Farm diversification grant scheme (capital Claims 100 items) Farm diversification grant scheme Claims 100 (feasibility and marketing) Farm woodland premium scheme Applications 96 Claims 99 Injurious weeds Complaints 99 Pilot nitrate sensitive areas scheme Claims 100 Nitrate sensitive areas scheme Applications 96 Claims 99 Protection of Badgers Act 1992 Licence applications 93 Five year set aside scheme Claims 100 Short term lettings Applications 95 Strychnine permits Applications 99 Agricultural wages Complaints 100 Wildlife and Countryside Act Applications 95 Correspondence 95 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Nine complaints were received by the MAFF adjudicator, all of which were resolved. {1} The total percentage has been calculated by setting the entire number of applications or claims cleared within the target time against the total number received. Applications and claims not cleared due to reasons beyond our control--such as incorrect information supplied by applicant--are not included as failures to meet target. {2} The failures resulted from unforeseen administrative complexities in checking all claims to the exacting standards required under the integrated administration and control system--IACS--rules. {3} The period covered is January to December 1995. {4} The period covered is November 1994 to June 1995. The high number of failures was due to the payment round being initially delayed due to the regulation coming into force later than usual and because of problems with the digitisation of less favoured area land from 1994 IACS records which required the manual checking of over 35,000 individual fields. {5} Final payments made by 30 April 1996.