Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Minister, at the moment, all the news seems to be about coronavirus, and rightly so, and the concerns that Government are addressing through their various summits and meetings. Your department has a critical role to play, especially in the farm support system, and this is a critical period of time, with the single farm payment application window now open and closing on 15 May. Many applications for calf passports, for example, are very time-sensitive—have to be in by a certain date, as do grant applications.

What discussions have you had within the department about, if, as is forecast, there could be as much as a 20 per cent absentee rate because of sickness in departments and work places? Have you modelled that into the way you will handle the applications around the single farm payment window, and other important grant applications, as well as inspections, because, otherwise, if force majeure isn't a consideration, many businesses—rural businesses—that depend on these application windows could fall foul of the system?