To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will ensure that the Rural Payments Agency makes a substantial part payment to farmers in England of the 2006 payments due to them under the Single Payment Scheme before the end of the 2006 calendar year. (97589)

[holding answer 31 October 2006]: The legal payment window runs from 1 December 2006 to 30 June 2007.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said in his statement on 22 June 2006, Official Report, column 1478, that delivery of the 2006 Single Payment Scheme will be very challenging and that he did not want to commit to a particular payment timetable until the Chief Executive of the Rural Payments Agency has had an opportunity make a realistic assessment of the prospects. That remains the position.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the percentage staff turnover at the Rural Payments Agency has been in the past (a) six and (b) 12 months; and if he will make a statement. (98641)

[holding answer 31 October 2006]: The following table shows all starters and leavers in the last six and 12 months. “Leavers” includes those individuals who left on redundancy terms as part of the downsizing of RPA.