§ Dr. George TurnerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food what progress his Department has made in meeting the service delivery targets set out in "Commitment to Service". [7544]
Dr. John CunninghamThe following table sets out the performance achieved by Regional Service Centres against the targets set in "Commitment to Service", second edition.
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RCS performance data percentage for financial year 1996–97 (unless otherwise specified) Total Arable Area Payments Scheme Main payments 99 Oilseeds Advanced payments 99 Final payments 99 Beef Special Premium Scheme Advance payments (1996) 98 Balance payments (1995) 99 CID applications issued (1996) 99 Premium paid CIDs issued (1996) 99 Suckler Cow Premium Scheme Balance payments 1995 99 Advance payments 1996 99 Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances Claims 1996 97 Sheep Annual Premium Scheme Claims marketing year 19961 97 Agricultural Improvement Scheme Plan claims 100 Environmentally Sensitive Areas Applications 97 Claims 99 Environmentally Sensitive Areas Conservation Plan Applications 97 Claims 98 Farm and Conservation Grant Scheme 1989 Plan claims 99 Non plan claims2 58 Farm and Conservation Grant Scheme 1991 Plan claims 97
RCS performance data percentage for financial year 1996–97 (unless otherwise specified) Total Farm Woodland Premium Scheme Applications 94 Claims (1996) 99 Injurious Weeds Complaints 99 Pilot Nitrate Sensitive Areas Scheme Claims (1996) 100 New Nitrate Sensitive Areas Scheme Applications (1996) 93 Claims 98 Protection of Badgers Act 1992 Licence applications 99 Five Year Set Aside Scheme Claims 100 Strychnine Permits Applications 97 Agricultural Wage Inspections Complaints 91 Wildlife and Countryside Act Licence applications 98 Correspondence Answered within 10 working days 97 Complaints Numbers receiving response within 10 working days 88 Notes:
1 Final payments made by 30 April 1097.
2 The relatively high failure rate for F and CGS 1989 non-plan claims is due to a large number of claims being received in the month before the scheme closed, making it impossible to meet the Charter target in many cases.
1. The total percentage has been calculated by setting the entire number of applications or claims cleared within the target time, against the total number received. Applications and claims not cleared due to reasons beyond our control (incorrect information supplied by applicant, etc.) are not included as failures to meet target.
2. The Farm and Conservation Grant Scheme (1991) Plan applications, the Farm Diversification Grant Scheme (Capital Items) Claims, and the Farm Diversification Grant Scheme (Feasibility and Marketing) Claims have all been omitted from the table, as the numbers involved are de-minimis.
3. Three complaints were referred to the MAFF Adjudicator during the year. Two of these complaints were resolved, the other was referred to the Minister. One complaint from a previous year has been referred to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and is currently under investigation.