6. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on basic payment scheme payments? OAQ(5)0164(ERA)

The Welsh Government has once again led across the UK in delivering 2016 basic payments. Nearly 90 per cent of eligible farm businesses were paid on the first day of the payment window and 15,435—that’s 99.93 per cent—farm businesses have received payments totalling £224.1 million. There are now 11 eligible farm businesses awaiting their payment. Those claims are complex, or officials are waiting for information from the farm business.

Cabinet Secretary, in a recent written question response, you confirmed that 56 farmers were still waiting for their basic payment scheme funding, and it’s not the first time I’ve had to raise this issue with the Welsh Government about the huge delays. The knock-on effect to our farmers and their families, who are entitled to this money, can be devastating, and it is a failure on the part of your Government as regards due process. Cabinet Secretary, what steps are you taking to release this money and ensure that this situation does not arise again next year?

Ble mae’r arian? Mae ein ffermwyr wedi aros digon hir.

I don’t think the Member heard me with my initial answer, because, as I said, it’s now 11—I’m not sure about the date of your previous written question, but it’s now 11. The fact is that 90 per cent—90 per cent—of farm businesses had their payment on the very first day, on 1 December 2016. For the majority of farms that didn’t receive their BPS, it was because of the boundaries between Wales and England. It was down to—. You can shake your head, but I can give you the evidence that it was down to rural payments in England, not our rural payments. I said that we’ve led the way, and we’ve now got just 11 eligible farms.

On Monday, of course, we got the details of this agreement between the Conservatives and the DUP. Among other things, the agreement extended assurances on the level of farm payments and funding for farm payments to farmers in Northern Ireland until 2022, beyond the assurances that Wales has been given previously. May I ask, therefore: have you now had the same assurances for Wales? If not, what are you doing to ensure that Welsh farmers are treated equally and equitably?

Sorry, in my answer to Neil Hamilton I think I did say 2020, but we have had the same assurance that it is 2022—I think that’s just within the cycle of the new Parliament.