Agriculture Minister Jim Paice has today announced a promising start for the 2011 Single Payment Scheme (see Written Ministerial Statement below).
 

The figures mean RPA has made more payments to farmers and has paid out more of the fund compared with the same time last year when by 3^rd December 2010 – two days later than the 2011 figures – just 83,306 payments (79%) totalling £1.1 billion had been released.
 

This year sees the introduction of more personal and tailored communications to claimants using a combination of telephone calls and letters. Farmers who are unlikely to be paid during December will for the first time get clearer information of what additional work is required to validate their claim and how long, typically, the activity required might take.  While it will not be possible to provide specific dates when payments will be made, RPA believes the extra information will help farmers with their business planning.

Written Ministerial Statement
 
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food (James Paice)     
I am pleased to confirm that as at the end of 1 December, the first day of the 2011 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) payment window, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) had released payments totalling over £1.2 billion (71.6% of the estimated total fund) to some 84,600 English farmers (80.8% of the estimated total of eligible claimants).  Payments to farmers will continue to be made as soon as validation of their claims is complete, with the values adjusted to reflect any significant outstanding overpayments from previous years. There remains much to do, but this promising beginning places RPA in a good position to meet its first SPS 2011 performance indicator, namely to pay 78% of the total estimated fund value to a minimum of 86% of eligible claimants by the end of December 2011.
 

In line with the commitment in my statement of 8 November (col. 12WS), RPA will write in early December to those farmers who are unlikely to be paid during the month in order to both explain the additional work that is required to validate their claim and provide an indicative timescale for how long that type of work can take. While it will not be possible to provide specific dates when payments will be made, I hope the additional information being supplied this year will help farmers with business planning.
 

I will continue to keep the House informed on the Agency’s progress.