CONSERVATIVE Euro MP Robert Sturdy is blaming the British Government for late CAP payments to English farmers. He has accused Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett of deliberately misleading British farmers over the delayed Single Farm Payments. He claim
CONSERVATIVE Euro MP Robert Sturdy is blaming the British Government for late CAP payments to English farmers.
He has accused Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett of deliberately misleading British farmers over the delayed Single Farm Payments.
He claims that the Government made a formal request to the EU Agriculture Commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel, last month to extend the deadline for payments to October 15.
Mr Sturdy said: "The Government has misled farmers.
"Margaret Beckett said only a few days ago that all payments would be made by the legal deadline and now we find out that in secret she has been requesting an extension from the European Commission.
"This is despite the fact that the rest of Europe's farmers received their payments at the beginning of the year, including those in Wales and Scotland.
"The only reason English farmers haven't is because of an unworkable new system DEFRA introduced against the advice of Ms Fischer Boel and British members of the Agriculture Committee.
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