Single Farm Payments Chris Huhne To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many 2005 single farm payments have been made for a sum less than €100; what estimate he has made of 2005 payments of less than €100 yet to be paid; and if he will make a statement. Barry Gardiner As at 12 December 2006 the total number of payments made for the 2005 single farm payments scheme for less than €100 is 12,232. Of these, 12,179 were paid in full and 53 have been partially paid. There are 756 claims that are yet to receive either a partial or a full payment. Chris Huhne To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many 2005 single farm payments were made for a sum in excess of (a) €300,000 and (b) £1 million; who the recipients were of those awards; how much was received by each recipient; what estimate he has made of the number of 2005 payments of each size yet to be paid; and if he will make a statement. Barry Gardiner As at 12 December 2006 the total number of payments made for the 2005 single payment scheme (SPS) in excess of €300,000 is 310, of which seven are in excess of £1 million. Of these, 300 have been paid in full and 10 have been partially paid. There are no claims of value €300,000 or more that are yet to receive either a partial or full payment. The figures produced are gross amounts and may differ when compared to the amount actually ‘received’ by the customer as some element of the payment may have been automatically ‘intercepted’ to pay off an outstanding debt. It is the Rural Payments Agency’s (RPA) intention to publish on its website, shortly after the completion of 2005 SPS payments, details of amounts of SPS money paid to farmers and associated farm businesses. This follows the precedent set of publishing common agricultural policy payments for the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund for 2003-04 and 2004-05 over the last two years. Well-known delays in implementing year one of SPS have impacted on RPA’s payment timetable, but once service has normalised, the intention is to publish details of non-SPS CAP payment details in the spring and SPS payment details in the autumn each year. A table showing the amount received by each recipient has been placed in the House Library. Mr. Letwin To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Rural Payments Agency has established a separate team to process outstanding claims in respect of 2005-06 single farm payments. Barry Gardiner The Rural Payments Agency has a dedicated team of staff working on processing the remaining 2005 single payment scheme claims. The team is working hard to ensure that as many claims as possible are paid before the end of December. Mr. Hayes To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2006, Official Report, columns 306-7W, on the Rural Payments Agency, what total amount of interest the Department has paid following late payments under the single payment scheme. Barry Gardiner In respect of the 2005 single payment scheme, the total amount of interest paid by the Rural Payments Agency by the end of November 2006 is £596,000. Miss McIntosh To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of previously outstanding payments under the single farm payment scheme have been paid in full in North Yorkshire since 31 March 2005. Barry Gardiner As at 30 November 2006 the total value of Single Farm Payment Scheme payments made to customers in North Yorkshire amounted to £109,025,115. The value of payments yet to made amounts to £521,721. The payment value includes partial payments made. Bill Wiggin To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which EU member states have been making (a) partial and (b) full single farm payments since 1 December; and if he will make a statement. Barry Gardiner Informal reports from the other 14 EU member states who are operating the 2006 single payment scheme suggest that all intend to begin making either full or partial payments during December 2006. Bill Wiggin To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many claimants in England have received (a) partial and (b) full 2006 single farm payments since 1 December; what percentage this figure represents of total claimants; and if he will make a statement. Barry Gardiner No 2006 single farm payments have been made. A total of 1,705 full 2005 single farm payments were made between 1 December and 12 December 2006 (inclusive). This figure represents 1.46 per cent. of 2005 total claimants paid between 1 December and 12 December 2006 (inclusive).