EFRA Report on BPS May 17, 2016 12:00 am The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee published its report on CAP payments to farmers on 10th May. It concluded that the RPA missing its end of March 2016 payment target was ‘unacceptable’. With reference to the 2016 claim the Committee had in fact called for an extension to the submission deadline, we now know that the RPA did not take this up; it also said: A mechanism must be found to ensure that the RPA, not farmers, is penalised for data issues. This relates to claims being made in 2016 where 2015 Claim Statements or in some cases payment have not been received or are not correct and claimants are still having to make their 2016 claim using ‘unverified’ information. It will make DEFRA accountable for the RPA’s performance and that DEFRA must ensure that the RPA’s system returns to 2014 performance levels, paying the majority of claims by volume on the first banking day of December and at least 90% of total claims by the end of December 2016. The full report can be found at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmselect/cmenvfru/405-i/405-i.pdf
