UK Parliament / Open data

Single Payment Scheme

Proceeding contribution from Philip Dunne (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Wednesday, 29 March 2006. It occurred during Adjournment debate on Single Payment Scheme.
: The hon. Gentleman speaks with some authority on that subject, as he is chairman of the all-party group on hill farming, on which I have the pleasure to serve. I completely agree. That issue must be addressed, and I hope that the Minister will pick up on it in his winding-up speech. Several hon. Members have discussed the fact that this is a critical time for the business viability of farms. Tenant payments and fertiliser payments are due, and hon. Members must remember that the single farm payment relates to the entirety of 2005. For many farmers, their support payments have been pushed back and back, year in, year out. People used to receive their payments in November. Then it was pushed to December, then it became January, then we were told March, and now I am told by somebody who attended the NFU meeting last evening that the talk is of August. At that point, the Government shall incur significant EU penalties. I hope that they do not go down that route. I should like to touch on the human consequences of this tragedy, because they are not purely financial. Last week, I hosted in this House a meeting of the Rural Stress Network, chaired by the former Bishop of Hereford, in whose diocese my constituency lies. The network covers five rural counties in the west midlands: Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire. The caseload of that group, which is staffed almost entirely by volunteers, is rising dramatically. Farmers are under particular pressure at this time of year, with lambing and calving as well as land work, and the financial situation is giving rise to severe stress and mental concerns. The network brought to my attention a particularly tragic case. Less than a month ago, a farmer in north Herefordshire, who lived not far from where I farm, got in touch with the network, because of his increasing distress over the non-arrival of his payments. I am afraid to have to tell the House that he committed suicide at the end of February. A female Rural Payments Agency officer who was in touch with him was, understandably, extremely distressed by the consequences of her discussions with him. If DEFRA cannot offer farmers any apologies or support, will the Minister at least give some assurances that RPA personnel get support for the circumstances with which they have to contend? I should like to ask the Minister a few quick questions. First, we have already heard that, in Wales, interim payments of 80 per cent. were made on the basis of historic entitlements, and that 94 per cent. of them were paid by 2 March. We learn today that all have now been paid. Will the Minister, as a matter of extreme urgency, now authorise immediate payments to those farmers in England who have had their entitlements validated? Secondly, will he instruct payment of an interim award of 80 per cent. of historical entitlements to the vast majority of farmers whose claims have been returned as unvalidated? Thirdly, does the Minister recognise that the failure to make those payments for 2005 is having a serious knock-on effect for the whole rural economy, much of which depends on the cash flows generated by farmers? Does he agree that it is appropriate to pay compensation to farmers who have suffered additional substantial interest payments? Finally, when will the appropriate Minister take responsibility for this fiasco?
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
444 c296-7WH 
Session
2005-06
Chamber / Committee
Westminster Hall
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