§ Mr. LetwinTo ask the Health of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the average time taken by his Department to make arable area payments to farmers following receipt of final notification to the farmers by the relevant regional office of his Department. [21027]
§ Mr. RookerAt present, the average time between notification to the farmer that a payment under the Arable Area Payment Scheme has been authorised, and the despatch of the payment to the farmer, is seven days. The486W Department expects to make all main payments under the Scheme in England, except those subject to query, by the EU deadline of 31 December 1997.