To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Rural Land Registry on the accuracy of the maps used to calculate acreage for payment purposes; and if he will make a statement.

I either meet, or discuss with the chief executive of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) almost weekly to discuss agency progress on a range of issues including the Rural Land Register (RLR).

The RLR Mapping Update exercise currently in progress uses the most recent Ordnance Survey (OS) data available in conjunction with aerial photography to update the RLR maps. This includes improving the positional accuracy of our map data and reflecting any real world change and ineligible land recorded by OS and farmers. The acreage for each field is calculated in hectares after the farmer has agreed the boundaries and declared any further land which is ineligible for the SPS payment.

As of 12 March 2010, approximately half of the 107,000 farmers who were sent maps as part of the RLR Mapping Update had agreed with their maps and the remaining half had requested changes to be made. RPA has now completed the request and sent confirmatory maps to over 72 per cent. of these farmers. Of these, only 3 per cent. have requested further changes to be made, many of which are new and have not been requested previously.