Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the European Commission on the relaxation of rules on farm checks required for the Basic Payment Scheme.

Simplification of the farm controls regime under the Basic Payment Scheme is a top priority for the Department. The Secretary of State and I have had regular discussions and exchanges with Commissioner Hogan on how this could be applied practically. The Secretary of State raised this with the Commission most recently on 7 September 2015 at the Extraordinary Agriculture and Fisheries Council. Officials also continue to press the Commission at working-group level.