§ Jane GriffithsTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he has received the PricewaterhouseCoopers' report which includes a review of the Agricultural Intervention Board; and if he will make a statement; [107044]
(2) when he plans to announce his decision on the future of the Agricultural Intervention Board. [107045]
§ Ms QuinMy right hon. Friend the Minister has received PricewaterhouseCoopers' report on CAP Scheme Administration in England.
The report considers the current arrangements for administration of CAP schemes against the background of the Modernising Government agenda, and focuses in particular on the scope for improving service delivery to claimants and making best use of IT developments. It 576W recommends that the CAP scheme payment functions of MAFF in England and of the Intervention Board in the UK should be merged to create a new CAP administration organisation supported by a single state of the art IT system.
My right hon. Friend is now considering these recommendations. Any radical reorganisation of CAP administration will be considered in the context of the Spending Review 2000. Decisions on the future of the Intervention Board will be taken in conjunction with the devolved administrations, since the Board reports to Agriculture Ministers in all four parts of the United Kingdom.