8 May 2006
http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=143632&command=displayContent&sourceNode=142719&contentPK=14442580&folderPk=91672
DEFRA HAS 'HALLMARK OF
STALINIST RUSSIA'
A prominent Cornish farmer has launched a
scathing attack on the former government minister responsible for
agriculture following the debacle over Single Farm Payments (SFP).
Peter Clarke, the chairman of the Cornwall branch of the National
Farmers' Union, accused Margaret Beckett, former Secretary of State
at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra),
of an "almost casual dismissal of the fact that farms could be going
bankrupt".
The comments came in an open
letter sent to Mrs Beckett, two days before her promotion to Foreign
Secretary. He warned her that if the SFP is not completed before
October 15, there could be an "implosion in the rural
economy".
Mr Clarke's comments come in an open letter to Mrs
Beckett. In it he says: "Spin and deceit along with fear and
intimidation were the hallmark of Stalinist Russia, which appear to
be thriving in this administration.
"Your apparent statement
that 'No farm business could ever have said with confidence that it
would receive its payment before the end of the payment window,
which is the end of June' means that you had no confidence in your
department's ability, even though you had implemented such a
diabolical system, and ultimately everything that you, your
ministers and senior civil servants said about payment dates were
totally untrue.
"How can you expect us to ever believe you
again? And all this from a department of government that used
anti-sleaze to the full when it came to power."
Mr Clarke was
referring to the fact that only a little over 40 per cent of
payments due to farmers as a subsidy under an agreement with the
European Union have been made months after the Government promised
them. Delays have been caused because of errors in assessing
farmers' entitlements, particularly following the digitised mapping
of fields to quantify their sizes. Many farmers are being asked to
make claims for next year's payments before receiving those due for
this past financial year.
"The problem that farmers have is
that you were the designer of this totally unworkable system, that
you had a considerable amount of time to implement it - and numerous
staff, which farmers do not have - and you insisted that payments
would be paid on time even though you were apparently given the
opportunity to delay it for a year, and you still get it wrong," Mr
Clarke wrote.
"However, if one of those many forms that
farmers have to complete by a usually impossibly short deadline at
some of the busiest times of year arrives late or, worse, there is a
small mistake or two, then divine retribution descends from the
Rural Payments Agency with dire consequences. Inspections, fines and
even a criminal record could be on the cards. Where in those
instances is partnership, the word that is so freely used by
yourselves when in certain company and for instant PR
soundbites?
"Your almost casual dismissal of the fact that
farms could be going bankrupt does not register with you that the
main reason is shortage of cash, without which there could be
livestock and human welfare problems, especially with such a late
spring.
"This has of course coincided with a period when
farmers' produce is realising some of the lowest prices for decades.
Most of those feeling the financial restraint would not be in the
current situation if you had taken advice from outside of your
departments, and not gone bullheaded down a route that most realised
was impassable."
Mr Clarke asserted that traders,
contractors, vets and consultants supplying the farm business sector
are in as deep financial trouble as are the farmers. "If the SFP is
not completed before October 15 there could well be an implosion in
the rural economy," he wrote. "But, worse still, we are seeing more
and more contacting the farm helplines in far worse financial
situations than during the infamous foot and mouth disease
period.This does not bode well, with ever increasing cases of
depression."
A spokesman for Defra said an additional
£100,000 was being made available immediately to key rural support
organisations that help farmers deal with stress.
He added
five organisations with close links with the farming community were
drawing up proposals for providing additional advice and emotional
support for those most in need.
Quoting Lord Bach, former
minister for sustainable farming and food, he said: "From my
meetings with the farming industry and individual farmers, I
recognise that many are facing cashflow problems in these difficult
times. In order to help people who find these difficulties
particularly stressful, we have substantially increased the amount
of funding available to organisations dealing with hardship
issues.
"However, at the end of the day, these problems will
only be solved with payments being made, which is why the Rural
Payments Agency is working flat out to develop a partial payments
system. This will deliver the greatest amount of money into the
industry in the shortest possible time."
Mr Clarke said his
comments were still relevant to the department Mrs Beckett headed
for five years. He said: "It's a terrible insult to the agricultural
community that the total lack of interest she showed over the past
five years has been rewarded with an upgrade. Clearly her loyalty to
Blair has been repaid - she should have done the honourable thing
and fallen on her sword for the damage she has
caused."