SUPPORTING OUR FARMERS (27/03/06)

Conservatives at Somerset County Council are spearheading a campaign to demand the immediate payment of overdue Single Farm Payments to farmers. They are seeking an urgent meeting with the Secretary of State to sort out the difficulties.

The Council has condemned the Government’s handling of the scheme, which has seen families stretched to breaking point as they struggle to get by without money long overdue. Under previous schemes the payments were delivered in the autumn, but the new Government agency that is supposed to deliver the funds, the Rural Payments Agency has not delivered and its Chief Executive has been sacked.

John Edney, the Conservative Spokesman for Economic Development, said, “I am pleased that we achieved cross-party agreement to pursue this with the Secretary of State for Food and Rural Affairs. She promised to complete the bulk of the payments by the end of March but now this is not going to happen. This is simply unacceptable for all the families affected.”

“I have listened to the hardships being experienced by farmers in our areas. We are determined to ensure Somerset’s farmers are given what they are owed. We will fight to ensure the Government give this their full attention and sort out the mess they have created”

Neil Parish, Conservative MEP for the South West, has demanded that the Department for Food and Rural Affairs should provide compensation to farmers hit by late payments.

Ends

Notes for Editors:

1. At a recent full Council Meeting, John Edney, Conservative Spokesman for Economic Development, secured the Council’s agreement to the following resolution:

“This Council deplores the unacceptable delay there has been in making payments to Somerset farmers as part of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

The responsible Ministry, DEFRA, has set up an excessively bureaucratic system which has left farmers without payments for over a year with no guarantee even now of when payments will be received. Farmers in Scotland and Wales have at least had partial payments.

In view of the importance of agriculture to the Somerset economy, this Council seeks an urgent meeting with the Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP to make her aware of the financial hardship her Department is causing this County’s agriculture industry, coming as it does on top of the BSE and Foot and Mouth Disease crises.”

2. The County Council has written to the Secretary of State for Food and Rural Affairs to express anger at the most recent delay.

3. For further information or comment, please contact John Edney, Conservative Spokesman for Economic Development, 01278 653026