Minister’s vow over easier payments

From 2015, Defra will introduce a single computer system for all Common Agricultural Policy funding in England, irrespective of the delivery body the funding was claimed through.

The measure forms part of the Farming Regulation Task Force drive to cut red tape in farming and will mean recipients will only have to enter their details once online to a single point of contact rather than for each CAP scheme they apply for.

Ministers also claim it will also reduce running costs, improve targeting of farm inspections and make it easier to adapt to future changes.

Delivering subsidy money has been a problem for Government in previous years, with the body responsible – the Rural Payments Agency – having been plagued by late payments.

However, Mr Heath said: “CAP programmes will probably change considerably over the coming years and we’re making sure we’re in the best possible shape to deal with this change.

“Having one modern, fit for purpose system will make it far quicker and easier for farmers. It’s a genuine example of our work on the Farming Regulation Task Force making a real difference to cutting red tape on the ground.”

As well as the Single Payment Scheme, there are currently 40 different CAP schemes. These are paid out under different computer systems by Defra, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), Natural England and the Forestry Commission.