To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the monetary value of bonuses awarded to officials of the Rural Payments Agency in each of the last five years. (310620)

The payments made for non-consolidated performance payments awarded to employees at the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) in the last five years is shown in the following table:

RPA performance payments are paid to RPA staff working on all aspects of the agency's work which includes managing and making payments for some 60 schemes, making payments on a further 30 schemes delivered by others, carrying out inspections and operating the British Cattle Movement Service under two reward schemes:

(a) Staff who have achieved the required performance assessment following the end of year individual performance review. This arrangement is negotiated each year with the trade union side; and

(b) A special recognition scheme was introduced in 2007 and exists to recognise instances of people making additional or outstanding contributions to RPA's work, giving an employee up to £500 for an outstanding performance.

These figures include non-consolidated performance payments paid to senior civil servants (SCS). The percentage of the pay bill set aside for performance-related awards for the SCS is based on recommendations from the independent senior salaries review body.