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

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 14 March (HL14136 and HL14137), what is the number of individual farmers who are awaiting (1) Countryside, (2) Entry Level, and (3) Higher Level, stewardship payments from (a) 2016, (b) 2017, and (c) 2018.

A farm business may hold more than one agreement and make multiple claims. As of 17 March 2019:

1) All eligible Countryside Stewardship 2016 and 2017 claims have received a payment apart from exceptional cases such as those that cannot be paid for legal reasons such as probate.

There are just over 6,100 2018 claims still due an advance payment. Any claim that has not been paid a 2018 advance payment by the end of March will be issued a bridging payment in early April.

RPA are on track to complete 95% of 2018 final payments on claims by the end of July.

2) The information held on Environmental Stewardship claims does not currently separate between Entry and Higher Level agreements.

All eligible 2016 claims have received a system advance and/or final, or a bridging payment. All eligible 2017 claims received an advance or bridging payment.

RPA is on track to complete 95% of 2017 final payments by end of July. There are just over 9,500 2018 claims due their advance payment.