§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what delays have occurred in payments of arable aid to farmers in Northumberland who are growers of commercial oilseed rape as a result of computer failure in the Ministry's Carlisle office; what office the cheques are now being paid from; and whether all payments due to be made by 31 December have now been paid.
§ Mr. JackSixteen producers in Northumberland who claimed set-aside payments in respect of oilseed rape grown as a non-food crop on set-aside land were affected by a temporary problem at Carlisle, as a result of which aid for areas planted to other arable crops was excluded from their payments. As soon as this problem was identified, steps were taken at Carlisle to pay the outstanding balances. Payable orders for all payments due to be made by 31 December 1993 to producers in Northumberland have now been issued except for two claims on which there are unresolved queries.