Farming Minister Jim Paice, who sits on the RPA oversight board, today told parliament that the Rural payments Agency exceeded its performance indicator targets on SPS (Single Payment Scheme) payments set in November.

The RPA exceeded its target to deliver 78 per cent of the total Single Payment value to a minimum of 86 per cent of eligible claimants by the end of December 2011.  RPA figures show that by the end of 31 December 2011, the agency had made payments totalling £1.427 billion (82.5 per cent of total value) to 92,066 English farmers (87.8 per cent of eligible claimants). 

Mr Paice said the figures represent the highest ever proportion of SPS payments made by the Agency in the opening month of the payment window.  He claimed this achievement is a good example of the progress being made at the RPA, which has been subject to scrutiny since missed deadlines and a report of poor performance marred the agency’s reputation in 2006.

The RPA now has to meet a second performance target, of paying a minimum of 95 per cent of both the eligible claimants and the total estimated value by the end of March 2012.

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