Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 2:49 pm on 23 June 2021.
Thank you. You will be aware that we maintained the basic payment scheme payments at the same level for 2021. If I receive the funding that we should receive from the UK Government, we will look to do it for 2022 also. As we develop the sustainable farming scheme that is set out in the White Paper and we bring forward the agricultural Bill, I've made it very clear that we won't introduce the new scheme until it's absolutely ready. So, there won't be any concern about falling through the gaps or anything like that, because I think it's absolutely vital that that scheme is up and running. And we've had two consultations. We've now had the White Paper, so, over three years, we've got significant responses to consultations that we can work on with in-depth analysis continuing at the moment. But I think, to give farmers the certainty that I do think they need in these very uncertain times, so long as we get that same funding from the UK Government, we'll do that for 2022.