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Donald Dewar refutes allegations about delay in paying 1998 AAPS Payments
09/10/1998
Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar today denied claims from the National Farmers Union of Scotland that he had failed to deliver Arable Area Payments to farmers.
Mr Dewar said:
"The Scottish Office is well on line to meet, in full, the undertaking I gave to the NFUS on 3 September to begin making payments of 1998 AAPS in mid-October (the earliest date permitted by the EU Regulations).
"The first tranche of payments will issue on 16 October when it is expected that some 50 per cent of Scottish arable producers, whose claims have passed all the necessary validation checks, will receive 100 per cent of the 1998 AAPS payments due to them - some two months earlier than last year. This is on top of the £11 million already paid to oilseed producers. It was never possible that all arable claims submitted could have passed all the necessary validation checks by 16 October.
"Those claims not included in the initial run of payments will be paid as soon as they have passed those validation checks, including those against the new field register. Those arable farmers who need to take action to ensure their maps are in order have been written to recently by the Department and should take the action set out in that letter as soon as possible."
News Release: 2046/98
9 October, 1998