§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the performance of the Rural Payments Agency; and if she will make a statement. [129790]
§ Alun MichaelMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State agreed to the creation of the Rural Payments Agency on 16 October 2001.
The Rural Payments Agency's second Annual Report and Accounts, which records performance against the Agency's key performance targets, as set by the Secretary of State, will be laid before Parliament shortly.
An Ownership Board chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs meets quarterly to monitor the performance of the Agency, on behalf of the Secretary of State. In addition, I receive weekly progress reports, as the Rural Payments Agency is part of my ministerial portfolio. I also monitor the response to issues raised by MPs and discuss relevant issues with the Agency.