Hampshire MP slams new mess on single farm payments

10.34.14am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 8th Aug 2006

Failures by the Rural Payments Agency has caused hardship for farmers across Hampshire.

Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne has criticised the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs for "bungling incompetence" in a new row over single farm payments.

Mr Huhne was commenting on the Rural Payments Agency, which has now sent out too much money in error after months when it failed to pay English farmers their single farm payments causing hardship across Hampshire.

The RPA sent out nearly £20 million in error in both June and July. It has cancelled cheques for £14.9 million, and is attempting to reclaim a further £5 million.

Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne, who is the Liberal Democrats shadow Defra secretary, said:

"The Rural Payments Agency is a basket case of bureaucratic bungling. It beggars belief that it has managed to overpay by so much after months of failing to pay what it owed.

"The RPA was asked to run before it could walk when the then Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett tried to introduce a far more complex system than in Wales and Scotland. The result is that Scottish and Welsh farmers have had relatively few problems, while Mrs Beckett has left a trail of mismanagement.

"The new Environment Secretary David Miliband should now urgently get a grip on the management problems at the Rural Payments Agency. It is time for delivery".