Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish a list of the submissions and locations of the rural projects his Department is considering supporting; and when he plans to announce the successful applicants of those projects.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government is investing £3.5 billion into farms and other rural businesses through the 2014-20 Rural Development Programme in England. Schemes within this programme have so far attracted over 30,000 applications and expressions of interest, which are assessed against published criteria and funded in line with programme rules. All Common Agricultural Policy payments, including those for rural development payments above 1,250 euro are published on the UK Co-ordinating Body website.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Exmoor National Park Authority has asked for a legal opinion on expanding its present boundaries.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Exmoor National Park Authority has not sought a legal opinion on expanding its present boundaries from Defra. It would be for Exmoor National Park Authority to seek its own legal advice on this matter. Ministers are not aware if it has sought such advice from elsewhere.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he had with Julian Glover on drawing up the terms of reference of the Designated landscapes (national parks and AONBs): 2018 review.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Prior to the launch of the review of designated landscapes the Secretary of State met Julian Glover to discuss the objectives for the review which are reflected in the terms of reference.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the Exmoor Vision as a way of expanding the National Park; and whether residents in Somerset and Devon currently outwith the National Park will be consulted on the its future.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
We are aware of the Exmoor National Park Partnership Plan, which was subject to consultation with the public before its adoption, and ‘Exmoor’s Ambition’, a vision for the future of Exmoor which was developed by the Exmoor National Park Authority and Exmoor Hill Farming Network in consultation with the Exmoor farming community. No assessment of either document has been made as a way of expanding the existing national park boundaries.
The review of designated landscapes, led by Julian Glover, will make recommendations on the case for extension or creation of new designated areas. It will include a call for evidence and more details of this will be announced soon.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with Exmoor National Park Authority on expanding the boundaries of the National Park to include the Quantocks and other areas.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Neither Defra nor Natural England, the body with statutory responsibility for national park designation, have held any recent discussions with Exmoor National Park Authority on expanding the boundaries of Exmoor National Park.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fines the Rural Payments Agency has paid to the EU as a result of (a) mistakes in payments and (b) late payments to farmers in the last five years; and what the value was of those fines.
Answered by George Eustice
The European Commission (EC) would expect the Rural Payments Agency to make recoveries or top up payments where the initial payment made was found to be inaccurate. These payment adjustments are not subject to EC fines.
However, the EC may apply fines, called disallowance, where they consider payments have been made which infringe scheme regulations or control measures. Financial penalties resulted in disallowance across a range of control measures, such as Cross Compliance; and a range of payment schemes disbursed by the RPA; and against payments which the Commission consider late. These are payments made outside of the regulatory payment window, which runs from 1 December to 30 June each year. The total disallowance applied by the commission is reported in the Annual Report and Accounts which are available at gov.uk. The split between disallowance (not including late payments) and late payment penalties within each published account is:
Financial year per published Account | £000 disallowance | £000 late payment penalties |
2016-17 | 112,390 | Nil |
2015-16 | 93,565 | 11 |
2014-15 | 3,156 | Nil |
2013-14 | 103,600 | 1,192 |
2012-13 | 23,518 | Nil |