Single Payment Scheme

: The hon. Gentleman has rightly identified why the scheme is so complicated. Our constituents would be happier if we reverted to a system that was more akin to the devolved Administrations, so perhaps the Minister could throw some light on that. Fewer than 2,500 farmers in England had been paid their allocation by the end of February 2006, whereas the Scots farmers had been paid in full. A well known local farmer, Mr. Woodhead of Felixkirk, has asked me to raise a case of which the Minister is perhaps not aware. There are number of auction marts in North Yorkshire, not least the one in Thirsk, where the single farm payments have led to an unacceptable distortion of the market. The Scots and the Welsh farmers are outbidding our local farmers because they have cash in hand from the farm payments.