Basic Payment Scheme 2022 entitlement rates

Press release

The Rural Payments Agency confirms rates for 2022 BPS payments

Hilly countryside — 2022 Basic Payment Scheme entitlement rates have been published.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has today (20 September 2022) published the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) entitlement rates.

The Basic Payment Scheme is a rural payment that provides financial help to the farming industry. From this year, BPS payments are going to be made in two instalments each year for the remainder of the agricultural transition period to help farmers with their cashflow. Around 50% of the overall payment amounting to over £679m was issued in the summer, with the remaining balance expected to land in farmers’ bank accounts from December.

For 2022, BPS payment rates for England are set in Sterling. These are the same rates as for 2021 and were used to calculate the BPS 2022 advances issued earlier this year.

Rates

Region	Non-SDA	SDA-Other	Moorland SDA
Entitlement rate:	£233.30	£231.60	£64.00

More information on BPS is available on GOV.UK and a progressive reductions calculator is also available.

There is also a package of ongoing and one-off payments for farmers, such as the new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) introduced under the Agricultural Transition Plan. These are open to farmers who claim BPS only, or those who claim BPS but have land in Countryside Stewardship or Environmental Stewardship. BPS farmers with common land should contact the RPA who will help with their application. The SFI is easy to apply for online, and gives farmers an ongoing payment that will reward sustainable practices which support food production and benefit the environment.

Further one-off grants are also available, including the Farming Investment Fund, Farming Innovation Programme and the Future Farming Resilience Fund.

Under BPS, farmers need to hold an entitlement for every hectare of eligible land they are claiming on. The size of farmers’ payments will depend on how many entitlements they use, supported by eligible land and the value of those entitlements.

Farmers are also reminded to beware of fraud as fraudsters may target farmers who receive subsidy payments.

farmers are encouraged to sign into the Rural Payments service to check their details are up to date, including email, mailing address and bank account details.
the RPA can be contacted on the following email address: ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk; and phone number: 03000 200 301 (Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm).

Published 20 September 2022

Devon fly-tipper who failed to clear waste in court for contempt

Press release

Fly-tipper Vitor Da Silva has been fined after he failed to clear illegally dumped waste from a field in Daccombe near Newton Abbot.

A large pile of dumped waste, including furniture and white goods — The waste included vehicles, furniture, white goods and gas bottles

Da Silva, 54, of Barton Road, Torquay, was given a conditional discharge for 12 months by Plymouth Magistrates last February. He had pleaded guilty to dumping waste without an environmental permit between January 2019 and August 2020. The conditional discharge would be breached if he failed to clear the site by the end of May 2022. And he was told to provide proof that the rubbish had been properly transferred to a legitimate site permitted to accept such waste.

Last Wednesday (14 September) Da Silva appeared before magistrates for contempt after he failed to clear the waste, which included vehicles, furniture, white goods and gas bottles, by the deadline. He was fined £100 and ordered to pay £80 costs after showing evidence that he has now cleared the waste.

Phil Butterworth of the Environment Agency said:

Da Silva had been given ample time to dispose of the waste to a properly licensed site. Sadly, he chose to ignore his responsibilities.

Unfortunately, anyone who used Da Silva’s services would have also failed in their duty of care to ensure a waste carrier has an environmental permit. By having proof that a person is licensed to remove waste, you can be sure your rubbish is properly disposed of.

At February’s hearing, Da Silva was also ordered to pay costs of £500 plus a £22 victim surcharge.

Da Silva pleaded guilty earlier this year to knowingly causing or knowingly permitting the carrying on of a waste operation on land at the junction of Downaway Lane and St Marychurch Road, Daccombe, Newton Abbot in respect of which no environmental permit was in force between 13 January 2019 and 18 August 2020, Contrary to regulations 38(1)(b) and 12(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

As part of the sentence, a Reg 44 Order was imposed requiring the site to be cleared of rubbish by 31 May 2022.

Published 20 September 2022

UK will match record Ukraine support in 2023

Prime Minister announces the UK will meet or exceed the amount of military aid spent on Ukraine in 2022 next year.
On a visit to the UN this week the PM will tell leaders that we must put an end to Putin’s economic blackmail by removing all energy dependence on Russia.
Visit to the UN General Assembly in New York comes as Ukraine continues to make unprecedented military gains against Russia.

Prime Minister Liz Truss will use her visit to New York this week to solidify the UK’s commitment to Ukraine’s security and territorial integrity, with the announcement that the UK will match or exceed our record 2022 military support to Ukraine next year.

In the last two weeks the world has witnessed a significant moment in the war in Ukraine, with territory in the east of the country liberated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Prime Minister will point to this success as evidence of what the Ukrainian people can do with the backing of fellow democracies.

The Prime Minister will use her speech to the UN General Assembly on Thursday to underscore the UK’s long-term commitment to Ukraine, with no let up in our military, humanitarian and political support to the country.

The UK is already the second largest military donor to Ukraine, committing £2.3bn in 2022. We have trained 27,000 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2015, and in the last year we have provided hundreds of rockets, five air defence systems, 120 armoured vehicles and over 200,000 pieces of non-lethal military equipment.

Last week saw the largest commercial road move of ammunition since the Second World War as tens of thousands more rounds of UK-donated artillery ammunition went to the front lines in Ukraine.

The precise nature of UK military support in 2023 will be determined based on the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, it is expected to include equipment like the Multiple Launch Rocket System, provided to Ukraine by the UK and others, which has been decisive in allowing Ukraine to re-gain over 3,000 square kilometres of territory in recent days.

The Prime Minister said:

Ukraine’s victories in recent weeks have been inspirational. Time and time again these brave people have defied the doubters and showed what they can do when given the military, economic and political support they need.

My message to the people of Ukraine is this: the UK will continue to be right behind you every step of the way. Your security is our security.

As Putin struggles to maintain his hold in eastern Ukraine, he is using Russia’s grip on European energy supplies to economically blackmail the people of Europe. Earlier this month Russia again closed off the Nord Stream Pipeline. Driven by Russian threats and restrictions on supply, the world has seen a spike in energy and food prices in recent months.

The Prime Minister will use her meetings with fellow leaders and CEOs in New York to catalyse global efforts to stop Russia from profiting off its energy exports while ending energy dependence on authoritarian regimes.

The Prime Minister said:

By turning off the taps of Nord Stream gas pipeline, Putin has consigned millions of people in Europe to a colder and more difficult winter.

Too many lives – in Ukraine, in Europe and around the world – are being manipulated by a dependence on Russian energy. We need to work together to end this once and for all.

In her first week in office, the Prime Minister took comprehensive action to help the people of the UK struggling with the cost of living as a result of global headwinds caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine and the aftermath of Covid.

This included the creation of a new Energy Supply Taskforce which is working with international gas suppliers to increase the global supply and reduce the price of gas.

The UK is also speeding up our deployment of clean and renewable technologies including hydrogen, solar, carbon capture and storage, and wind – where the UK is already a world-leader in offshore generation.

PM meetings with foreign leaders: 17 and 18 September 2022

News story

Prime Minister Liz Truss carried out a number of engagements with world leaders this weekend.

The Prime Minister Liz Truss carried out a number of engagements with world leaders this weekend [17th and 18th September 2022].

These meetings and calls were an opportunity for the Prime Minister and key leaders to reflect on the life and important global role of Her Majesty The Queen, and to reaffirm the strength of our diplomatic relationships.

The list is as below:

Saturday 17th September at Chevening:

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia [in person]
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand [in person]
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates [phone call]

Sunday 18th September at No 10 Downing Street:

Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin [in person]
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada [in person]
President Andrzej Duda of Poland [in person]

Published 18 September 2022

Two-minute silence to mark the death of Her Majesty The Queen

News story

National silence to take place on Monday, 19 September

There will be a two-minute silence at the end of the State Funeral service on Monday, 19 September. This will be at approximately 11:55am.

To pay our respects to Her Majesty The Queen this silence will be observed in all UK government buildings. Devolved administrations will issue instructions in their estates and others as necessary.

Local authorities, businesses, organisations and individuals may choose to join us in observing this silence.

They are also encouraged to join in the National Moment of Reflection on the evening of Sunday 18 September to reflect on the Queen’s life and legacy.

The Moment of Reflection will be marked with a one-minute silence at 8pm.

Further information

Published 18 September 2022