Rural Payments Agency

Environment Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 17 March 2010.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Peter Robinson Peter Robinson DUP, Belfast East

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much it cost on average for the Rural Payments Agency to process a single payment in the latest period for which information is available.

Photo of Jim Fitzpatrick Jim Fitzpatrick Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) (Farming and the Environment)

holding answer 16 March 2010

In their report 'A Second Progress Update on the Administration of the Single Payment Scheme by the Rural Payments Agency', the National Audit Office calculated the average cost for administering a single payment scheme claim as £1,743. We are seeking ways of reducing this figure.

Does this answer the above question?

Yes1 person thinks so

No1 person thinks not

Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.

Secretary of State

Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

holding answer

Parliamentary questions are conventionally answered within seven days of being lodged, or on a particular day for so-called "Named Day" questions. (Source: House of Commons Information Office, Factsheet P1, "Parliamentary Questions")

A holding answer may be issued by a Minister if, for whatever reason, a substantive or final answer to the question cannot be provided in the time available.