HL Deb 27 March 2000 vol 611 cc43-4WA
Earl Peel

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether major new information technology systems for common agricultural policy administration will not be introduced in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food until any such systems have been fully tested and their efficiency and reliability have been proven. [HL1558]

Baroness Hayman

The recent studies (the PricewaterhouseCoopers Review of CAP Scheme Administration and the report of the Independent Working Group on IACS and Inspections) have recommended that modern IT systems would offer substantial scope for reducing the burden of form filling in the farming community.

Before any new systems go live they will of course need to be fully tested. The trial of electronic IACS application forms which is currently running in East Anglia is an important first step in this process. We are also considering ways of ensuring that farmers who do not wish to use the new technology themselves will have access to suitable sources of advice and assistance.