European Commission right to be tough with UK government over delays to farming subsidy payments

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 28th Jun 2006

Local Lib Dem Euro MP Diana Wallis says the European Commission is right to be tough with the UK government over its delays to farming subsidy payments.

As reported this week the UK government has asked the EC to extend the deadline of the new Single Payment Scheme for farmers from the June 30 to October 15 which the Commission has refused to do.

Diana Wallis MEP said:

"I know only too well from the representations from farmers in Yorkshire & the Humber just how slow the Government has been in implementing this new scheme. Under the new system English farms will get a single payment every year for looking after their land, instead of a subsidy for producing food.

"Other member states, and indeed Scotland and Wales, have successfully implemented the new scheme without a hitch. But in England farmers have reported a series of blunders and delays. This is having a real impact on farmers' livelihoods in the region.

"Tony Blair rightly bangs on about further reform to the EU's Agricultural Policy but this does not bode well for the future if the Government cannot even get this modest reform right."