I propose to take Questions Nos. 1603 and 1616 together.
The rules on the eligibility of “hill top” land have not changed since 2015. I can confirm that inspecting officers of my Department are not “omitting hill tops” within commonage areas.
My Department provides training, on an annual basis, for staff who carry out land eligibility inspections. The purpose of this training is to update inspecting officers on audit outcomes, clarifications on the governing EU regulations and guidance documents from various EU meetings and workshops and to ensure that the inspection process is up to the standard required of an accredited paying agency.