Anne-Marie Trevelyan, MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed took part in a Commons debate yesterday which raised concerns about delays to the Basic Payment Scheme – the mechanism by which subsidies to farmers are delivered. Many farmers in Northumberland and across the country, have experienced delays in receiving their payment, causing cashflow problems and in some cases, hardship.
Concerns about late payments and a lack of clear information by Defra, the Government department responsible for administering the subsidies, were raised with Anne-Marie at one of her recent meetings with local farmers.
Speaking in the debate, Mrs Trevelyan said: “I have been meeting regularly with farmers who are struggling. In large measure, Northumbrian farmers have very small farms and upland farms. Does he agree that it is unacceptable that DEFRA and the common agricultural policy system are the loan service? Farmers are having to carry the burden and the emotional and family pressures of having big debts, while DEFRA cannot manage to pay out on time and in full.”
The farming Minister, George Eustice, responded to the debate on behalf of the Government, and told MPs that although 97% of applicants have now received their first payment, there have been some delays as a result of EU requirements for inspections, which create additional bureaucracy.
Explaining the problem, Mr Eustice said: “97% of applicants have now had their first instalment and 60% have received their second instalment a month earlier than normal. We have made progress, but there is further to go. Some people will ask why we cannot just pay and why things are so complicated… there is a good reason for that. Under regulations and law, the EU requires certain inspections and verification to be carried out. The truth is that we tried to get the [European] Commission to relax those requirements to enable us to expedite payments this year, but it refused. We cannot make those payments from the EU until those various checks and the validation of claims have been completed.”
Anne-Marie said: “I thank the Minister for being open and explaining that the European Commission has refused the UK’s request to lessen the burden of red tape which is harming our farming communities. I will continue to pressure the Government to do all it can to speed things along. We cannot have our farmers struggling because of these extra checks. We need better communication and better planning. The last thing our farming communities need is to be facing these administrative hurdles.”
The full transcript of the debate is available HERE.