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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Countryside Stewardship payments were delayed in 2018; and what the average waiting time was to receive a payment.

Payments for 2018 annual revenue claims are underway and we are committed to making payments to 95% of 2018 Countryside Stewardship customers by 31 March. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) took on administration of Countryside Stewardship in October 2018 and is continuing to simplify the administration of the scheme as far as possible under the current EU system. The RPA does not keep records of the average time an eligible claim takes from receipt to payment.