§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make representations in the EC Council of Ministers to remove the bar on payment of EC grants to farmers following late claims, and to replace the present rule with a discretion exercisable by himself; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerI have every sympathy with the efforts of the hon. Member on behalf of his constituents. He will be aware that we make every effort to ensure that our administration of EC schemes is sensitive to farmers' practical concerns, consistent with effectively addressing the risk of fraud. It is, however, important that there is comparability of treatment between producers in different member states and strictly applied Community-wide rules regarding claims received after the closing dates for the suckler cow premium scheme and the sheep annual premium scheme are necessary to ensure this. Giving a general discretion to the various national authorities responsible for administering these schemes to accept or reject late claims would undermine this important principle.