4. What plans does the Cabinet Secretary have to evaluate the administration of the Glastir scheme in Wales? OAQ(5)0152(ERA)

Thank you. The administration of Glastir is reviewed annually, not least in preparation for European Commission scrutiny of the annual accounts. The effectiveness of the suite of Glastir schemes is evaluated through the Glastir monitoring and evaluation programme, which is due to publish its final report shortly.

Thank you for the answer, Cabinet Secretary. Delayed Glastir scheme payments can have a significant detrimental impact on farm finances. According to the Farmers’ Union of Wales, by 9 May this year, 22 per cent of claims for work done under Glastir last year still had not been paid, and the Welsh Government’s intention was to pay only 90 per cent of claims by the end of May. Does the Cabinet Secretary accept it is essential that payments to compensate farmers for the work they have undertaken and the cost incurred are made within a reasonable time period, and what action will she take to speed up the payment process, please?

I do think farmers need that money as quickly as possible. However, you’ll be aware that, firstly, we concentrated on the basic payment scheme, and 90 per cent of people received that funding on the first day that the window opened. In relation to Glastir, we said, from the outset, that we would start paying the Glastir payments in February. We actually started in January because we’d done so well on the basic payment scheme. We actually started a month early, and my officials have been working very hard to progress all but the most complex of Glastir cases by the end of this month—so, by the end of this week. There’ll be a small number of farmers who won’t be paid this week, and they will be written to and explained why that is, but I hope very much that that will be completed by the end of July.