§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list each of the claims for set-aside which have been scrutinised during 1990–91 giving the location of the farm and the size of payment involved; and if he will list the cases where the participants failed to receive the payment, with the reasons in each case why they did not comply with their undertakings; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerThis information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Moreover, data identifying individual farms cannot be provided without breach of confidentiality.
All set-aside claims are properly scrutinised, but it is not my Department's policy to publish details of its inspection arrangements, as this could seriously impede effective enforcement. Inspections in England during the 1990–91 2W set-aside year identified 18 serious irregularities and a number of additional cases involving minor breaches of the scheme rules. Payments were withheld or recovered in full or in part in 39 cases.