Rural Payments Agency

My Lords, I am sad to say it, but this must be one of the most disgraceful Statements ever heard on agriculture in either House. How does the Minister expect farmers to continue to survive when there has been a failure to make their basic payments by the end of March? Maybe not April, maybe not May. I declare an interest as a Scottish farmer. I was paid in January. If Scotland and Wales can do it, why on earth can’t England? What were Ministers doing in November, December, January, February and March? Were they actually checking that the cheques were going out? Were they making any effort to see that the crucial payments to farmers were made? They have left agriculture in a parlous state, grossly short of cash that they should have received in this financial year—probably ending on 5 April—and apparently, from what the Minister has said, with very little hope of payment in the next few weeks.