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892109

	registered interest
	date	26/04/2018
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What steps he has taken to reduce delays in processing applications for the basic payment scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
	tabling member printed	Helen Goodman
	uin	904958
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2018 answer text <p>Since the introduction of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in 2015, the Rural Payments Agency has made improvements in the processing of applications including the introduction of online applications, online land and entitlement transfers, reducing the time to process transactions, and further support and guidance to help farmers successfully submit their applications. This has led to improvements in the BPS payment performance with over 90% of eligible farmers being paid by the end of December for the 2016 and 2017 scheme years.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 26/04/2018 17:12:28 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	1484 label Biography information for Helen Goodman

837828

	registered interest
	date	06/02/2018
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to communicate to farmers how the Basic Payment Scheme will operate in 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
	tabling member printed	Tim Farron
	uin	126859
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2018 answer text <p>We plan to guarantee that Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments will continue for a transition period in England, lasting a number of years beyond the implementation period. During this transition period, we propose to first reduce the largest BPS payments in England. We will consult widely on both the approach to reducing payments and on how long the transition should be. We will set out further detail in our command paper, which we plan to publish this spring.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 20/02/2018 11:36:25 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

794440

	registered interest
	date	23/11/2017
	answering body	Wales Office
	answering dept id	28
	answering dept short name	Wales
	answering dept sort name	Wales
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what meetings he has had with farmers’ unions and representatives of rural communities on replacing common agricultural policy subsidies to UK farmers.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff Central
	tabling member printed	Jo Stevens
	uin	115413
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2017 answer text <p>As befits their importance to the Welsh economy, my ministerial team and I regularly meet with farmers’ unions and representatives of rural communities to discuss a number of issues, including the impact of the UK leaving the European Union.</p><p> </p><p>Most recently, the UK Government Minister for Wales, Guto Bebb MP, along with the Minister for Farming, George Eustice MP, met with the Farmers Union of Wales on 13 November and the National Farmers Union Cymru on 15 November.</p><p> </p><p>Both the FUW and NFU Cymru, along with the Country Land and Business Association, are members of my Expert Panel. The panel meets regularly, and last met on 6 November.</p> answering member constituency Vale of Glamorgan answering member printed Alun Cairns question first answered 28/11/2017 10:37:32 answering member 4086 label Biography information for Alun Cairns
	tabling member	4425 label Biography information for Jo Stevens

982683

	registered interest
	date	08/10/2018
	answering body	Scotland Office
	answering dept id	2
	answering dept short name	Scotland
	answering dept sort name	Scotland
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether agricultural support payments to the Scottish Government during the transition period will be made through the Barnett formula.
	tabling member constituency	East Lothian
	tabling member printed	Martin Whitfield
	uin	176583
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/10/2018 answer text <p>This Government has pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of the parliament, expected in 2022. This figure includes all EU and Exchequer funding provided for farm support under both Pillar I and Pillar II.</p> answering member constituency Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale answering member printed David Mundell question first answered 11/10/2018 09:47:14 answering member 1512 label Biography information for David Mundell
	tabling member	4626 label Biography information for Martin Whitfield

694308

	registered interest
	date	24/02/2017
	answering body	Department for International Trade
	answering dept id	202
	answering dept short name	International Trade
	answering dept sort name	International Trade
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his plans for World Trade Organisation schedule liberalisation include lower levels of subsidies for the UK's agricultural sector after 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Brent North
	tabling member printed	Barry Gardiner
	uin	65441
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2017 answer text <p>As my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade made clear in his Written Ministerial Statement on 5 December 2016, HCWS316, we will seek to replicate our commitments at the World Trade Organisation as we leave the EU.</p> answering member constituency Chelsea and Fulham answering member printed Greg Hands question first answered 06/03/2017 14:49:52 answering member 1526 label Biography information for Greg Hands
	tabling member	146 label Biography information for Barry Gardiner

348690

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her evidence to the EFRA Committee on 11 March 2015, HC942, Q397, what recent reports she has received on whether the maps used on the system for making Basic Payment Scheme payments are up and running.
	tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
	tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
	uin	1229
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2015 answer text <p>Ensuring successful delivery of the Basic Payments Scheme (BPS) in 2015 is our priority and the core of the Rural Payments System is working well. We are looking carefully at how best to develop the system, including the mapping functionality, in order to support delivery of the BPS in future years.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 11/06/2015 13:36:14 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

391779

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's news story, Environment Secretary calls for fewer inspections to make CAP simpler for farmers, published on 21 July 2015, what policies are included in the overhaul of the greening requirements she requested.
	tabling member constituency	Brent North
	tabling member printed	Barry Gardiner
	uin	8361
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2015 answer text <p>Our priority is a review of the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) to ensure inspections, penalties and controls are proportionate to the EU Fund, and costs to Member States' implementation. There are two key areas that underpin IACS that can help achieve this ambition: a simplification of the inspections regime to make it more proportionate and risk-based, whilst maintaining an effective fraud deterrent; and a more pragmatic and proportionate penalties and control regime. This will help streamline the Common Agricultural Policy by reducing overall administrative burden and be fairer for farmers.</p><p>The European Commission has a requirement to review the Greening Ecological Focus Area requirements in 2016 and we expect work to commence in the autumn of this year. UK Ministers have asked the Agriculture Commissioner to extend his review to also cover the other elements of the Greening requirements, in particular the Crop Diversification requirement.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of this work, we continue to develop our underpinning evidence base.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 8339 8340 8362 question first answered 07/09/2015 16:57:23 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	146 label Biography information for Barry Gardiner

391781

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's news story, Environment Secretary calls for fewer inspections to make CAP simpler for farmers, published on 21 July 2015, what assessment she has made of the potential environmental effects of a reduction in (a) the number of inspections to check Ecological Focus Areas and (b) the overall number of CAP inspections.
	tabling member constituency	Brent North
	tabling member printed	Barry Gardiner
	uin	8340
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2015 answer text <p>Our priority is a review of the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) to ensure inspections, penalties and controls are proportionate to the EU Fund, and costs to Member States' implementation. There are two key areas that underpin IACS that can help achieve this ambition: a simplification of the inspections regime to make it more proportionate and risk-based, whilst maintaining an effective fraud deterrent; and a more pragmatic and proportionate penalties and control regime. This will help streamline the Common Agricultural Policy by reducing overall administrative burden and be fairer for farmers.</p><p>The European Commission has a requirement to review the Greening Ecological Focus Area requirements in 2016 and we expect work to commence in the autumn of this year. UK Ministers have asked the Agriculture Commissioner to extend his review to also cover the other elements of the Greening requirements, in particular the Crop Diversification requirement.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of this work, we continue to develop our underpinning evidence base.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 8339 8361 8362 question first answered 07/09/2015 16:57:23 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	146 label Biography information for Barry Gardiner

391785

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's news story, Environment Secretary calls for fewer inspections to make CAP simpler for farmers, published on 21 July 2015, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of a reduction in (a) the number of inspections to check ecological focus areas and (b) the overall number of CAP inspections on progress towards meeting the biodiversity 2020 targets.
	tabling member constituency	Brent North
	tabling member printed	Barry Gardiner
	uin	8362
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2015 answer text <p>Our priority is a review of the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) to ensure inspections, penalties and controls are proportionate to the EU Fund, and costs to Member States' implementation. There are two key areas that underpin IACS that can help achieve this ambition: a simplification of the inspections regime to make it more proportionate and risk-based, whilst maintaining an effective fraud deterrent; and a more pragmatic and proportionate penalties and control regime. This will help streamline the Common Agricultural Policy by reducing overall administrative burden and be fairer for farmers.</p><p>The European Commission has a requirement to review the Greening Ecological Focus Area requirements in 2016 and we expect work to commence in the autumn of this year. UK Ministers have asked the Agriculture Commissioner to extend his review to also cover the other elements of the Greening requirements, in particular the Crop Diversification requirement.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of this work, we continue to develop our underpinning evidence base.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 8339 8340 8361 question first answered 07/09/2015 16:57:23 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	146 label Biography information for Barry Gardiner

809012

	registered interest
	date	18/12/2017
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the current funding system for farm payments will remain in place during the transition period after the UK leaves the EU.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	120121
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2017 answer text <p>The Government has pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of this Parliament, expected in 2022. This provides a greater level of security and certainty for farmers and landowners than anywhere else in the EU, where funding is guaranteed only until 2020.</p><p>Any changes made to agricultural funding would reflect the Government’s aim of securing a better future for UK agriculture and for the environment.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 20/12/2017 16:34:39 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

516256

	registered interest
	date	27/04/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Rural Payments Agency will maintain the current level of resources until the 2016 applications are logged and the issues with the 2015 applications are resolved; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Workington
	tabling member printed	Sue Hayman
	uin	35907
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2016 answer text <p>We understand the importance of Basic Payment Scheme payments to farmers and Defra has ensured that the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has all the resources it needs to complete claims processing for 2015 and to help farmers and agents to submit their 2016 applications as promptly as possible.</p><p> </p><p>For 2016, applications are coming in with nearly 40,000 received either online or by paper. RPA has 14 support centres and a helpline to provide assistance to help farmers to claim.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 04/05/2016 12:44:11 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4395 label Biography information for Baroness Hayman of Ullock

348715

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Rural Payments Agency will cover the costs of any bridging finance from commercial banks for farmers suffering delays in receiving support from the Basic Payments Scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Penistone and Stocksbridge
	tabling member printed	Angela Smith
	uin	1290
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>The RPA expects to pay the vast majority of payments early in the payment window which runs from December to June. As such we do not expect to provide cover for bridging finance from commercial banks for farmers</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 1291 question first answered 10/06/2015 15:29:40 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	1564 label Biography information for Angela Smith

515828

	registered interest
	date	26/04/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Rural Payments Agency is expected to resolve post-payment adjustments for the 2015 Basic Payments Scheme before September 2016; and if all outstanding cases will receive interest on their payments.
	tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
	tabling member printed	Nick Smith
	uin	35675
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2016 answer text <p>Any farmer who has received a 2015 Basic Payment Scheme claim statement and noticed a difference from what they were expecting is advised to contact the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).</p><p> </p><p>The RPA will investigate these differences over the summer and will make the appropriate adjustments where necessary. However, there is no legal provision to pay interest on outstanding amounts.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 04/05/2016 07:53:30 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

348714

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government will cover the costs of any bridging finance from commercial banks for farmers suffering delays in receiving support from the Basic Payments Scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Penistone and Stocksbridge
	tabling member printed	Angela Smith
	uin	1291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>The RPA expects to pay the vast majority of payments early in the payment window which runs from December to June. As such we do not expect to provide cover for bridging finance from commercial banks for farmers</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 1290 question first answered 10/06/2015 15:29:40 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	1564 label Biography information for Angela Smith

541280

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to devolve agricultural subsidies to the devolved administrations once Britain exits the Common Agricultural Policy.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	43705
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2016 answer text <p>Across the UK, agriculture will receive the same level of funding that it would have received under the Common Agricultural Policy until at least the end of the Multi-Annual Financial Framework in 2020, even if the UK leaves the EU before this point.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Government will be working closely with the devolved administrations as we work on future agriculture policy.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 09/09/2016 08:59:41 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

945573

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2018
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans for the UK wide frameworks on agriculture to cover a joint agreement on the permissibility of the allocation of subsidies to farms that are not commercially viable independent of subsidies.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff Central
	tabling member printed	Jo Stevens
	uin	166495
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/09/2018 answer text <p>Each devolved administration will have the freedom to design policies that support their farming sectors and enhance their environment. Common frameworks should only be established where they are necessary and this includes the maintenance of a functioning UK internal market. Provided that policies comply with this framework, each administration can choose which sectors they want to support and which public goods they wish to buy.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 04/09/2018 10:59:21 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4425 label Biography information for Jo Stevens

522091

	registered interest
	date	26/05/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she expects all applications made before the deadline for the applications for the 2016 Payment Scheme to be paid this year.
	tabling member constituency	The Cotswolds
	tabling member printed	Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
	uin	38617
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2016 answer text <p>The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) estimates that as of 5 June 2016, 86,521 (99%) claimants have received a payment on their 2015 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) claim. Of these, 82,460 have received a claim payment; 3,936 bridging payments; and 125 a manual hardship payment. There are a number of claims where processing has been completed successfully but they have not resulted in a payment for reasons such as the claim being under minimum claim size, or the Agency awaiting information on probate cases.</p><p> </p><p>The RPA will continue to make top up payments throughout the remainder of the payment window up to the end of June 2016.</p><p> </p><p>While the payment window runs between December and June, the RPA expects to make 90% of payments on eligible claims by the end of December this year and all remaining payments as promptly as possible. As of 5 June the RPA had received 86,581 applications for BPS 2016.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 38616 question first answered 06/06/2016 15:16:34 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	249 label Biography information for Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown

674449

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2017
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether partial Basic Payment Scheme payments to customers made by the Rural Payment Agency are included in the Agency's published performance results.
	tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
	tabling member printed	Cat Smith
	uin	60445
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2017 answer text <p>All Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2016 payments issued, and included in the published performance results, are complete based on the current 2016 claim information held by the Rural Payments Agency. Those who have received a BPS Financial Support Payment are not and therefore not included in the reported figures paid.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 25/01/2017 14:47:14 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith

420687

	registered interest
	date	12/10/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to make CAP payments before the end of December 2015.
	tabling member constituency	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
	tabling member printed	Calum Kerr
	uin	11360
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2015 answer text <p>The Rural Payments Agency will be making full payments to eligible farmers as early as possible in the payment window, which runs from 1st December 2015 to 28th June 2016. We expect to make the majority of payments in December and the vast majority by the end of January.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 16/10/2015 12:52:49 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4379 label Biography information for Calum Kerr

383876

	registered interest
	date	18/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to carry out the review of the convergence of uplift payment allocation in 2016.
	tabling member constituency	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
	tabling member printed	Calum Kerr
	uin	3148
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2015 answer text <p>The Government has committed to undertaking a review in 2016/17 of intra-UK CAP budget allocations. This review will include a comparison of land types across the UK.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 3149 question first answered 23/06/2015 15:01:32 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4379 label Biography information for Calum Kerr

802993

	registered interest
	date	08/12/2017
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to match existing levels of Common Agricultural Policy funding after the UK leaves the EU.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff North
	tabling member printed	Anna McMorrin
	uin	118413
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2017 answer text <p>The Government has pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of this Parliament, expected in 2022. This provides a greater level of security and certainty for farmers and landowners than anywhere else in the EU, where funding is guaranteed only until 2020.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 13/12/2017 18:08:02 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4632 label Biography information for Anna McMorrin

806508

	registered interest
	date	14/12/2017
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to maintain subsidies to UK farmers after the UK leaves the EU.
	tabling member constituency	Gordon
	tabling member printed	Colin Clark
	uin	119584
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2017 answer text <p>This Government has pledged the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of the parliament, expected in 2022. This is a greater level of security and certainty for farmers and landowners than anywhere else in the EU, where funding is guaranteed only to 2020. This total includes all EU and Exchequer funding provided for farm support under both Pillar I and Pillar II.</p><p> </p><p>Leaving the EU gives us an opportunity to set new policies which specifically benefit agriculture and the environment. The government is committed to providing the best possible value for money to the taxpayer and we are exploring various options to achieve these aims.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 18/12/2017 17:07:51 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4650 label Biography information for Colin Clark

967860

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2018
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to make changes to the Rural Payments Agency as a result of the recent summer dry weather to ensure that support payments are paid in a timely manner.
	tabling member constituency	Canterbury
	tabling member printed	Rosie Duffield
	uin	170416
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2018 answer text <p>The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is fully focussed on getting Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2018 payments issued promptly from the opening of the payment window in December. In addition we are reviewing options, such as bringing forward bridging payments, for those BPS claimants who have not received their BPS 2018 payments by the end of December.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 11/09/2018 11:57:28 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4616 label Biography information for Rosie Duffield

947320

	registered interest
	date	24/07/2018
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to incorporate incentives to enhance and maintain (a) heritage buildings, (b) monuments, (c) structures and (d) landscape features in any future scheme of agricultural payments.
	tabling member constituency	Ipswich
	tabling member printed	Sandy Martin
	uin	168099
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/09/2018 answer text <p>The new environmental land management scheme, underpinned by natural capital principles, will contribute to delivering many of the key outcomes set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan and the Clean Growth Strategy.</p><p> </p><p>As the cornerstone of future agriculture policy the new environmental land management scheme will pay public money for the provision of public goods. As set out in our consultation document Health and Harmony, the public goods incentivised by the scheme could include: biodiversity, which habitat enhancement and maintenance contribute to; cultural heritage, such as the maintenance of heritage buildings and monuments; and public access.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 168095 168097 question first answered 04/09/2018 11:07:51 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4678 label Biography information for Sandy Martin

964591

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2018
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans as a result of extreme weather conditions to instruct the Rural Payments Agency to make advance payments or bridging loans to farmers who will not have received their 2018 BPS by 31 December 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	169357
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2018 answer text <p>The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is fully focussed on getting Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2018 payments issued promptly. Given the prescriptive EU requirements in making advance payments, RPA will concentrate on making payments from the opening of the payment window in December. In addition we are reviewing options, such as bringing forward bridging payments, for those BPS claimants who will not have received their BPS 2018 payments in December.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 06/09/2018 10:30:54 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

967874

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2018
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made representations to the European Commission on flexibility for greening and agri-enviroment schemes because of dry weather this summer.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Lloyd Russell-Moyle
	uin	170410
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2018 answer text <p>Farmers in the UK, Ireland and across northern Europe, have experienced a difficult time this year with the hot, dry weather. The impacts are likely to be most severely felt by grazing livestock due to the shortage of grass, but the full effect may not be realised until later in the year. We have prioritised practical solutions to help farmers increase access to fodder and bedding both now and in the coming months. These actions will help farmers to limit the impact of extra feed costs by allocating land to forage growth and grazing, but we will keep the situation under review.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Particular measures the Government has taken to help farmers are:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>We have clarified that English farmers, unlike farmers in other EU countries where derogations have been sought, have been able to use fallow land for grazing since 1 July. That is because our legislation reflects what we consider to be the minimum EU requirement.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>We were the first Member State to raise a concern with the Commission to establish Ecological Focus Area (EFA) catch crops by 20 August: Other Member States agreed with us and the Commission agreed that “force majeure” would apply in these circumstances, so we could waive penalties for farmers in this situation.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>We are seeking a derogation from the requirement to sow only certain seed types which are unpalatable to livestock in EFA areas as catch crop. The derogation we expect to secure shortly will allow for grass and herbaceous forage to be grown in those areas, and for those areas to be grazed.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>On Countryside Stewardship, Environmental Stewardship and forestry legacy agreements farmers are able to ask Natural England to agree a temporary variation to the agreement conditions, either as an Environmental Stewardship Derogation (to date, over 130 have been granted) or a Countryside Stewardship Minor and Temporary Adjustment (over 30 have so far been granted). We will allow farmers to derogate temporarily from specific prescriptions to provide bedding, fodder and grazing for livestock without materially affecting the environmental benefits of their agreement.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I will monitor whether the fodder import scheme that has been introduced in Ireland has an appreciable effect on supplies of fodder and bedding within the UK. We have also made the point to the European Commission that whilst the UK is committed to working to identify appropriate responses to this year’s weather impacts, these should not interfere with the normal functioning of the market or obscure the focus of farmers in mitigating weather impacts.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Opportunities such as the ones described above were discussed with a wide range of stakeholders at the National Farmers’ Union “Dry Weather Summit” on 1 August 2018 and we have received some further representations in writing from farming industry organisations. Further discussions took place at the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) Industry Partnership Group meeting in Reading on 20 August 2018. Additionally, a small number of individual farmers have made representations through the RPA’s Helpline. All representations received have been considered in the round and informed the approach we are taking to offering all available support to alleviate the impacts of the recent extreme weather conditions for farmers.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 170411 170417 170418 170556 170864 question first answered 10/09/2018 12:18:31 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4615 label Biography information for Lloyd Russell-Moyle

388584

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether applications for the 2016 Basic Payment Scheme will be made online or by paper.
	tabling member constituency	Rossendale and Darwen
	tabling member printed	Jake Berry
	uin	6112
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2015 answer text <p>We will consider carefully a range of options for the 2016 Basic Payment Scheme using our experience of the implementation of the new approach for 2015.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 15/07/2015 12:07:41 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4060 label Biography information for Sir Jake Berry

106286

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2014
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the replacement of the Rural Development Programme for England's Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme will be announced; and when funding applications will be invited.
	tabling member constituency	Peterborough
	tabling member printed	Mr Stewart Jackson
	uin	213454
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p>We will provide further information before the end of December on the new scheme that we plan to open in 2015 to help farming and forestry businesses become more productive.</p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 10/11/2014 12:48:53 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
	tabling member	1551 label Biography information for Lord Jackson of Peterborough

434224

	registered interest
	date	04/12/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the payment window for the single farm payment and basic payment will open.
	tabling member constituency	North Somerset
	tabling member printed	Dr Liam Fox
	uin	18781
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/12/2015 answer text <p>The payment window for the Basic Payment Scheme 2015 runs between 1st December 2015 and 30th June 2016.</p><br /><p>We received around 88,000 Basic Payment Scheme applications for 2015. On the 1st December, the opening of the Basic Payment Scheme 2015 payment window, we paid around 33,000 claims. This means that, as a proportion, around 62% of claims are still being processed.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 18780 question first answered 09/12/2015 10:25:21 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	223 label Biography information for Sir Liam Fox

177845

	registered interest
	date	04/02/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to review the allocation of Common Agriculture Policy funds between Scotland, England and Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Inverclyde
	tabling member printed	Iain McKenzie
	uin	223442
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2015 answer text <p>The review of allocations of Common Agricultural Policy funds between UK administrations will take place in 2016/17. Defra will first work with the devolved administrations to decide on the data needed to facilitate a comparison of payments across the UK. One area that will be examined in the review is a comparison of land types and payment areas; this will be easier when all UK administrations have begun the transition to area based payments.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 09/02/2015 17:43:05 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4246 label Biography information for Iain McKenzie

512986

	registered interest
	date	14/04/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when it is planned Dartmoor Farmers who farm on common land will receive payments under the Basic Payment Scheme; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Torridge and West Devon
	tabling member printed	Mr Geoffrey Cox
	uin	33982
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2016 answer text <p>For those Basic Payment Scheme claims with commons, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has faced a particularly difficult challenge as it is necessary to wait until all claimants for a common have had their commons rights validated before the area for each commoner can be established. RPA is working to make the payments for claimants who have not been paid as promptly as possible, including the Dartmoor farmers who farm on Common land.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 19/04/2016 12:27:59 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	1508 label Biography information for Sir Geoffrey Cox

773173

	registered interest
	date	18/10/2017
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish its review on convergence uplift payments to Scottish farmers.
	tabling member constituency	Ross, Skye and Lochaber
	tabling member printed	Ian Blackford
	uin	108555
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2017 answer text <p>The Secretary of State received a letter from the member for Dumfries and Galloway requesting a review of intra-UK allocations of funding for agricultural support on 26 October.</p><p>The Secretary of State also met Scottish Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing, on 6 November to discuss intra-UK allocations. We will set out next steps in due course.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 20/11/2017 12:41:03 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4390 label Biography information for Ian Blackford

506282

	registered interest
	date	08/04/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what total amount of disallowance penalties was imposed on the UK by the EU in each of the last 10 years; and what contingency funding has been set aside for disallowance penalties in each of the next five years.
	tabling member constituency	Berwick-upon-Tweed
	tabling member printed	Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan
	uin	33004
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2016 answer text <p>The amount Defra has accrued for each of the last ten financial years following the conclusion of EU audits is shown in the table below. These figures relate to a number of different Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) schemes over a number of historical scheme years as disallowance is paid in arrears.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="10"><p>Disallowance (*) £millions</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>05/06</p></td><td><p>06/07</p></td><td><p>07/08</p></td><td><p>08/09</p></td><td><p>09/10</p></td><td><p>10/11</p></td><td><p>11/12</p></td><td><p>12/13</p></td><td><p>13/14</p></td><td><p>14/15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>63</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>162**</p></td><td><p>181</p></td><td><p>42</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>81</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>(*) Reflects the sums the European Commission has ruled cannot be reimbursed (i.e. the amounts they have “disallowed”).</p><p> </p><p>(**) Includes £11million in disallowance relating to Northern Ireland. All other figures relate to England only. The Devolved Administrations are now responsible for disallowance relating to their administration of the CAP.</p><p> </p><p>The Department’s Annual Report and Accounts in 2014/15 provides provisions of £64.5million for future disallowance related to historical audits. Future disallowance penalties are difficult to predict. However, the Department’s aim is to reduce disallowance to as low a level as possible and we expect a return to disallowance of about 2 per cent of scheme value by 2019.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 33012 question first answered 18/04/2016 13:40:48 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan

458210

	registered interest
	date	07/03/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the reasons are for late payments being made under the Basic Payment Scheme by the Rural Payments Agency; and how many farmers have received late payments to date.
	tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
	tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
	uin	30136
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2016 answer text <p>The payment window for the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme runs from 1 December 2015 to 30 June 2016. While in recent years, the RPA has been able to make a higher proportion of payments earlier in the payment window, the new CAP is very complex and has created new administrative burdens for the RPA.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As of 2 March 2016 some 71,700 claimants, representing over 82% of all eligible claims, have received their payments, bringing the total paid to date for the 2015 scheme to £1.13 billion.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 10/03/2016 13:27:22 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

470438

	registered interest
	date	14/03/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the mean time was between application for payment and receipt of payment of the (a) Basic Farm Payment and (b) Single Farm Payment to individual farms in Kent in the financial year 2014-15.
	tabling member constituency	Tonbridge and Malling
	tabling member printed	Tom Tugendhat
	uin	31021
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2016 answer text <p>We do not hold information on mean time taken between the application for payment and a receipt of payment for the Basic Payment Scheme and the Single Payment Scheme in England.</p><p> </p><p>Like-for-like comparisons cannot be made as the scheme rules and consequent administrative checks are different.</p><p> </p><p>As of 10 March 90.5% of farmers (1,661 of 1,835) in Kent had been paid their BPS claim.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 31022 question first answered 17/03/2016 11:56:53 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4462 label Biography information for Tom Tugendhat

470439

	registered interest
	date	14/03/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the mean time taken was between application for payment and receipt of the (a) Basic Farm Payment and (b) Single Farm Payment to individual farms in the UK in the financial year 2014-15.
	tabling member constituency	Tonbridge and Malling
	tabling member printed	Tom Tugendhat
	uin	31022
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2016 answer text <p>We do not hold information on mean time taken between the application for payment and a receipt of payment for the Basic Payment Scheme and the Single Payment Scheme in England.</p><p> </p><p>Like-for-like comparisons cannot be made as the scheme rules and consequent administrative checks are different.</p><p> </p><p>As of 10 March 90.5% of farmers (1,661 of 1,835) in Kent had been paid their BPS claim.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 31021 question first answered 17/03/2016 11:56:54 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4462 label Biography information for Tom Tugendhat

654828

	registered interest
	date	08/12/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the main reasons were for non-payment of Basic Farm Payments to those who made claims that resulted in no payment in the last year for which figures are available.
	tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
	tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
	uin	56792
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2016 answer text <p>The main reasons for claims resulting in no payment were either where claimants did not comply with the scheme rules or applications were received after closure of the penalty period which runs, each year, twenty five calendar days after the application deadline.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 13/12/2016 17:54:39 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson

532465

	registered interest
	date	04/07/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the main reasons for delays in basic farm payments were in the most recent year for which information is available; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
	tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
	uin	41745
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2016 answer text <p>There have been a number of challenges with the introduction of the Basic Payment Scheme in its first year. These include the implementation of a new IT solution; new European Commission requirements of the scheme such as greening and the associated administrative checks and the move to the use of established pre-populated forms and processes for 2015.</p><p>As of 3 July 86,760 (99.6%) of farmers have received a payment on their 2015 BPS claim. The Rural Payments Agency continues to focus on making top up payments to those farmers who have already received a bridging payment.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 07/07/2016 16:25:58 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson

437146

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the definition of paper-assisted digital applications is for the Common Agricultural Policy Delivery Programme.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	19643
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2015 answer text <p>The new Common Agricultural Policy has been widely recognised as being more complex for farmers to understand and harder for Member States to administer. The new schemes have not yet been audited by the European Commission so it is too early to say what the level of any disallowance will be, but complexity tends to increase disallowance risk.</p><br /><p>For the Basic Payment Scheme 2015 the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) sent pre-populated claim forms to farmers and land owners to allow them to submit their applications before the deadline. The RPA provided an unprecedented level of support to farmers and land owners through the Rural Payments Helpline and 50 Drop In Centres that allowed some 88,000 applications to be received within the deadline. ‘Paper-assisted’ means that forms were completed on paper but then entered on to a digital system by RPA staff.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 19642 question first answered 15/12/2015 12:46:06 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

438934

	registered interest
	date	16/12/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Government's priorities are for the next round of negotiations on CAP.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol East
	tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
	uin	20505
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2016 answer text <p><br></p><p>The European Commission’s current focus is on simplification of the CAP. UK Ministers are pressing the Commission and other Member States to be more ambitious in this exercise in order to reduce burdens and costs to farmers and administrators.</p><br /><p>Our priorities for the next round of CAP reform were set out in our manifesto. Our aim is to deliver a new agricultural policy which is simpler, which contributes to productivity and growth in the farming industry and which also delivers for the environment and improves animal welfare.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 05/01/2016 12:38:16 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

483147

	registered interest
	date	21/03/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support her Department provides to farmers who are waiting to receive a single farm payment.
	tabling member constituency	Chippenham
	tabling member printed	Michelle Donelan
	uin	31922
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2016 answer text <p>The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) started paying Basic Payment Scheme claims from the opening of the payment window on 1 December 2015. As of 21 March 2016, the RPA has paid 72,807 claimants approximately £1.15 billion and remains focused on paying the remainder of claims as promptly as possible.</p><p>The RPA has an established financial hardship process and is working with a range of farming help organisations to see what further support could be offered. Following hardship case referrals from these organisations, over 420 farmers have received RPA hardship payments, amounting to more than £6.8 million.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 31/03/2016 08:28:22 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan

967862

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2018
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what submissions he has received from (a) industry organisations and (b) farmers requesting flexibility in the application of (a) CAP and (b) agri-environment schemes because of the 2018 summer’s dry weather.
	tabling member constituency	Canterbury
	tabling member printed	Rosie Duffield
	uin	170418
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2018 answer text <p>Farmers in the UK, Ireland and across northern Europe, have experienced a difficult time this year with the hot, dry weather. The impacts are likely to be most severely felt by grazing livestock due to the shortage of grass, but the full effect may not be realised until later in the year. We have prioritised practical solutions to help farmers increase access to fodder and bedding both now and in the coming months. These actions will help farmers to limit the impact of extra feed costs by allocating land to forage growth and grazing, but we will keep the situation under review.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Particular measures the Government has taken to help farmers are:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>We have clarified that English farmers, unlike farmers in other EU countries where derogations have been sought, have been able to use fallow land for grazing since 1 July. That is because our legislation reflects what we consider to be the minimum EU requirement.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>We were the first Member State to raise a concern with the Commission to establish Ecological Focus Area (EFA) catch crops by 20 August: Other Member States agreed with us and the Commission agreed that “force majeure” would apply in these circumstances, so we could waive penalties for farmers in this situation.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>We are seeking a derogation from the requirement to sow only certain seed types which are unpalatable to livestock in EFA areas as catch crop. The derogation we expect to secure shortly will allow for grass and herbaceous forage to be grown in those areas, and for those areas to be grazed.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>On Countryside Stewardship, Environmental Stewardship and forestry legacy agreements farmers are able to ask Natural England to agree a temporary variation to the agreement conditions, either as an Environmental Stewardship Derogation (to date, over 130 have been granted) or a Countryside Stewardship Minor and Temporary Adjustment (over 30 have so far been granted). We will allow farmers to derogate temporarily from specific prescriptions to provide bedding, fodder and grazing for livestock without materially affecting the environmental benefits of their agreement.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I will monitor whether the fodder import scheme that has been introduced in Ireland has an appreciable effect on supplies of fodder and bedding within the UK. We have also made the point to the European Commission that whilst the UK is committed to working to identify appropriate responses to this year’s weather impacts, these should not interfere with the normal functioning of the market or obscure the focus of farmers in mitigating weather impacts.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Opportunities such as the ones described above were discussed with a wide range of stakeholders at the National Farmers’ Union “Dry Weather Summit” on 1 August 2018 and we have received some further representations in writing from farming industry organisations. Further discussions took place at the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) Industry Partnership Group meeting in Reading on 20 August 2018. Additionally, a small number of individual farmers have made representations through the RPA’s Helpline. All representations received have been considered in the round and informed the approach we are taking to offering all available support to alleviate the impacts of the recent extreme weather conditions for farmers.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 170410 170411 170417 170556 170864 question first answered 10/09/2018 12:18:31 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4616 label Biography information for Rosie Duffield

457534

	registered interest
	date	03/03/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure (a) people who have not received payments from the Basic Payment Scheme for 2015 will receive those payments by the end of March 2016 and (b) all claimants of that scheme will receive information on how payments have been calculated.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	29763
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2016 answer text <p>The Rural Payments Agency is working to pay the remainder of farmers their Basic Payment Scheme claims as promptly as possible and is aiming to make almost all payments by the end of March. The Secretary of State and I have regular conversations with the CEO of the agency about progress. The agency has been communicating with farmers who have not yet received their payments. Going forward the agency will keep them updated about the likely timing of their payment until they are paid.</p><p>The Rural Payments Agency will support every payment with a paper explanatory claim statement and guidance on how payments have been calculated. These statements started to be issued in February and will continue to go out throughout March.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 08/03/2016 09:36:48 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

576416

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is planning to take to assist farmers in the (a) North West and (b) Ribble Valley constituency with transitional funding after the UK leaves the EU.
	tabling member constituency	Ribble Valley
	tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Evans
	uin	45009
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2016 answer text <p>Supporting our farmers and protecting the environment will form an important part of our exit from the EU. The Secretary of State is very clear this needs to be looked at carefully and is looking forward to working with industry and the public to develop new proposals that support our agricultural industry as we leave the EU.</p><p> </p><p>On the 13<sup>th</sup> August, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the agricultural sector will receive the same level of funding that it would have received under Pillar 1 of the Common Agricultural Policy until the end of the Multiannual Financial Framework in 2020. Any agri-environment agreements, including those continuing beyond departure from the EU, finalised before the Autumn Statement will be fully funded, and there will be a further announcement before the Autumn Statement.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 08/09/2016 10:38:52 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	474 label Biography information for Mr Nigel Evans

438641

	registered interest
	date	15/12/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to make the certification process for the Basic Payment Scheme more efficient for farmers; and if she will include further accountability bodies who are able to certify active farmer status to improve efficiency of that scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Beverley and Holderness
	tabling member printed	Graham Stuart
	uin	20276
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2015 answer text <p>We are considering what changes are required to the administration of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) next year, taking into account the feedback we have received from farmers and experience from the first year of implementation.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 21/12/2015 17:30:07 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	1482 label Biography information for Graham Stuart

459361

	registered interest
	date	10/03/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve the speed with which payments are made to small farmers under the Basic Payment Scheme.
	tabling member constituency	The Wrekin
	tabling member printed	Mark Pritchard
	uin	30742
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2016 answer text <p>As of 10 March the Rural Payments Agency has paid in the region of 83% of all eligible claims received. Of these some 81% of small farm businesses had received their payments. The Rural Payments agency is working to pay the remainder of claims as promptly as possible with between 800 and 1,000 staff working on processing claims.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 16/03/2016 17:08:23 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	1576 label Biography information for Mark Pritchard

643705

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure timely payments from the Rural Payments Agency.
	tabling member constituency	Salisbury
	tabling member printed	John Glen
	uin	907461
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2016 answer text <p>The RPA has improved the Rural Payments service for 2016 and over 80% of BPS claims were submitted online this year.</p><p>This means the RPA has been able to focus on processing claims as quickly as possible in order to make payments to claimants from the opening of the payment window next month. They are aiming to pay 90% of claimants their BPS 2016 payment by the end of the year.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 24/11/2016 14:00:13 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4051 label Biography information for John Glen

516253

	registered interest
	date	27/04/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Rural Payments Agency learns the lessons of the introduction of the Basic Payment Scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Workington
	tabling member printed	Sue Hayman
	uin	35906
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2016 answer text <p>The Rural Payments Agency has learnt a number of lessons following the introduction of the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015, in particular, allowing farmers and their agents the opportunity to apply online and on paper for 2016. In addition the online application process has been simplified for 2016.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 04/05/2016 12:28:25 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4395 label Biography information for Baroness Hayman of Ullock

417629

	registered interest
	date	08/09/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to reduce the financial penalties imposed by the European Commission on her Department relating to the Common Agricultural Policy; and what estimate she has made of the likely level of such penalties in 2016-17.
	tabling member constituency	Shipley
	tabling member printed	Philip Davies
	uin	9378
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2015 answer text <p>Complexity in CAP rules and the interpretation that EU auditors place on regulations is the root cause of many disallowance corrections. Since 2010, steps taken by Defra have allowed the disallowance penalties incurred in England to be steadily managed at around £50m per year. Throughout this period the Government has challenged claims for disallowance through mediation in the EU and since 2010 reduced the amount of disallowance levied by €285m.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department’s Annual Report and Accounts provides provisions of £64.5m for future disallowance related to historical audits. While future disallowance penalties are difficult to predict, the Government is concerned that the new Horizontal Regulation amends the way that penalty rates are calculated, introducing a ratchet effect, which could greatly increase proposed disallowance penalty corrections, even if the same standards of implementation are maintained. The UK Government believes that a proportionate penalty scheme in the Horizontal Regulation is a priority for CAP simplification and the mid-term review of CAP regulations.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 16/09/2015 15:54:50 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

819930

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2018
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support schemes which provide non-basic payment funding for farmers through the Common Agricultural Policy after the UK leaves the EU and during the time basic payments are to be maintained until 2022.
	tabling member constituency	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
	tabling member printed	John Lamont
	uin	122002
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2018 answer text <p>The Government understands the importance of providing stability to farmers as we leave the European Union.</p><p> </p><p>The same cash total in funds for farm support has been committed for the duration of this Parliament.</p><p> </p><p>We have also committed to fund Pillar II agreements, including agri-environment schemes, signed from within the current Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) allocation before the UK leaves the EU. These will be funded for their lifetime, as long as they are in line with domestic priorities and are good value for money.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 22/01/2018 18:25:24 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4608 label Biography information for John Lamont