§ Mr. PatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the industrial action by her Department's civil servants has led to a backlog in processing(a) IACS payments and (b) compensation payments; and if the Government will pay interest to farmers affected by late payments. [18295]
§ Mr. MorleyIndustrial action by PCS members has affected the Department's ability to process payments as normal, although every effort continues to be made to make payments within the appropriate time scales. It is not Government policy to pay compensation for payments which might miss payment deadlines because of industrial action.