§ Mr. LetwinTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to accelerate payment of IACS claims. [48018]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 10 April 2002]: I am very mindful of the effects that delays in IACS payments have on the farming community and can assure you that R PA is doing all that it reasonably can to make payments as quickly as possible.
By the payment deadline of 31 January, 94 per cent. of claims had been paid and by 18 March all processible claims had been paid.
Agri-environment and livestock payments have also been affected but, although RPA has had to upgrade computer software to reflect regulatory changes on the bovine schemes and to carry out cross-checks on claims 605W where holdings were affected by FMD, we expect to make all the payments within the regulatory timescales. Some advance payments have however been made rather slower than normal.
Looking ahead the Rural Payments Agency is in the process of modernising the way in which CAP schemes are administered by taking full advantage of more modern information systems and the benefits of electronic service delivery.
However, this is a major Change Programme and it will be 2004 before most of the new systems and structures are in place, and the benefits can be fully realised.