SNP CAP slowdown sees 1300 farmers still waiting for payments

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19 Jul 2017

Peter Chapman

The Scottish Conservatives have accused the SNP of letting progress on CAP payments stall, following reports that the Scottish Government may escape fines due to UK-wide progress.

1300 farmers are still to receive CAP payments. Just 126 payments were made last week, which represents a significant drop from the previous rate of 1745 in the week before the deadline of 30th June.

Last week £1m of payments were made – compared to £59 million in the week before the deadline.

Under European rules 95 per cent of payments should have been made by 30 June, but the Scottish Government fell short, only reaching 90.4 per cent.

The Scottish Government was forced to request an extension from the European Commission for the second year running.

In contrast, Defra made 99.2 per cent of payments in England by the end of June deadline.

Media reports suggest that this UK-wide progress could spare Scotland heavier fines.

Audit Scotland recently warned that European fines of up to £60 million are possible if the troubled CAP IT system does not work.

Scottish Conservative shadow rural affairs secretary Peter Chapman said:

“The SNP has clearly taken their foot off the accelerator when it comes to delivering CAP payments.

“It is the ultimate irony that no sooner had it emerged the UK situation could spare the SNP’s blushes, progress in Scotland has now stalled.

“These payments can’t get into the rural economy quickly enough, but for a second year running many farmers are still being made to wait.

“It was humiliating for the Scottish Government to have to beg the European Commission for a deadline extension due to their shambolic handling of these important payments.

“Audit Scotland warned that even next year the IT system may not be working as it should and many farmers will now be wondering if it will ever be fit for purpose.”

The Scottish Government provides weekly reports on CAP payments showing that in the week ending 14 July 126 payments had been processed. There are 17980 eligible applicants for payments and 16686 have been processed to date. The report can be accessed here.

Audit Scotland’s June 2017 report on the CAP IT system can be accessed here.

The Scottish Conservatives have repeatedly called on the Scottish Government to fix the CAP payment system (see press releases below)

http://www.scottishconservatives.com/2017/06/sturgeon-must-come-clean-on-second-cap-crisis/

http://www.scottishconservatives.com/2017/06/now-snp-must-publish-its-own-damning-cap-report/ #

http://www.scottishconservatives.com/2017/06/sturgeon-owes-holyrood-an-explanation-over-cap-cover-up/



NHS trust fined £1m following 53-year-old man’s death in Lincolnshire

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has been fined following the death of 53-year-old John Biggadike at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston.

Lincoln Crown Court heard that Mr Biggadike, who was a patient at the hospital, died on 10 April 2012 from internal injuries after falling onto an exposed metal post on the standing aid hoist that staff were using to support him.

The kneepad on the standing aid hoist had been incorrectly removed leaving the exposed metal post that caused the fatal injuries when he collapsed after standing up.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the Trust did not have systems for training and monitoring how staff used the standing aid hoist and unsafe practices had developed.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, of Trust Headquarters, Lincoln County Hospital, Greetwell Road, Lincoln, was found guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It was fined £1 million and ordered to repay £160,000 in costs.

The trust has also been ordered to pay £3800 to Mr Biggadike’s family to cover the costs of the funeral.

In his statement John Biggadike’s brother Keith said: “John didn’t deserve to die the way that he did. One day I had a brother and the next I didn’t. “

Harvey Wild, Operations Manager for the HSE said: “First of all, our thoughts remain with John Biggadike’s family. This was a tragic and preventable death.

“If staff had received effective training and monitoring in the use of the standing aid hoist Mr Biggadike’s death could have been avoided.”

Guidance on how to safely handle patients can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/moving-handling-do.htm

Notes to Editors:

  1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
  2. The HSE has a legal duty to make inquiries about all allegations or complaints made to it, initially to determine whether there are grounds to formally investigate possible breaches of health and safety regulations.
  3. Until 1 April 2015, allegations of unsafe working practices at medical establishments, unrelated to clinical matters, could be referred to HSE. After this date, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) became the lead regulator, including investigating potential breaches of health and safety regulations.
  4. Since 1 April 2015, this HSE investigation was conducted as a historic inquiry, as the HSE was the responsible regulator at the time these offences were committed.
  5. Further information about how the HSE decides on whether to launch a formal investigation can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/incidselcrits.pdfand http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/og/ogprocedures/investigation.
  6. Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 states: “It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.” Further information about the legislation applied in this case can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk/

Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases.



South West Trains – Reading to Waterloo

I had a meeting today with the new Franchise team for South West trains who take over in August 20th.

I stressed to them the need for improved punctuality and reliability in the service. They assured me they had a number of planned actions to raise service levels including staff rostering, and more reliable trains.

They told me the introduction of extra trains as promised to give us 4 trains an hour to London from Wokingham will not be before December 2018. They plan replacement and renewal of existing coaches.

I raised with them the desirability of bidding for digital signalling to allow more trains per hour to use the track. They said they were working on this possibility.



News you do not hear on the media

“Pound rallies strongly by 7% against the dollar as investors see positives in Brexit.” (Pound up to $1.30 from low of $1.20)

“UK economy grows 2% in year to end March 2017 as Brexit gives consumers a boost”

“Jobs bonanza in post referendum UK. UK reaches record levels of employment in the summer of 2017 after the vote”

“UK companies think main problem with Brexit is they may not be able to attract enough low cost labour from the continent to fuel their continuing expansion plans in UK”



Transparency data: BEIS tax arrangements for off-payroll appointees, April 2016 to March 2017

The data shows details on:

  • number of off-payroll engagements for those earning more than £220 per day and lasting more than 6 months duration as at 31 March 2017
  • new engagements or those that reached 6 months duration between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017
  • engagements of board members, and/or senior officials with significant financial responsibility during that period
  • number of engagements for whom assurance as to their tax obligations has been sought
  • number who have successfully provided assurance
  • action taken against those who have not successfully provided assurance

Note

In July 2016 the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) merged to form the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). This is the first return for the new department (combining both ex-BIS and ex-DECC) and is not directly comparable to previous returns.