Farmers’ subsidy system wastes £700m

Article reports that the Rural Payments Agency in England has wasted in the region of £700m – the capital equivalent of building about 30 secondary schools – on a subsidy system for farmers introduced in 2005, the (UK) National Audit Office said in a report issued on the 14 October 2009.

The Rural Payments Agency and DEFRA have shown scant regard to protecting public money in their administration and management of the EU’s Single Payment Scheme in England, according to the report.

BBC News, 15.10.09: Farm subsidy system 'in a mess' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8307860.stm

NAO: A second progress update on the administration of the Single Payment Scheme by the Rural Payments Agency, October 2009 http://www.nao.org.uk/whats_new/0809/0809880.aspx

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