I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 20, 21, 40, 44 and 184 together.
The position is that to date in 1993, some £340 million has been paid to farmers in respect of various headage and premium payments. Total payments are at present £70 million ahead of the £270 million paid to farmers at the same date in 1992.
Payments under cattle headage and premium schemes do not normally commence until November. As well as that, EC rules now preclude any payments under special beef premium and suckler cow premium schemes before 1 November and even then limit payments to 60 per cent advances. Advances of 60 per cent are also being made under the cattle headage schemes.
Excluding the November application period for special beef and suckler cow schemes which closed on 30 November and for which I do not yet have figures, over 350,000 applications have been received in my Department under 1993 cattle headage and premium schemes. To date payments totalling £80 million have been made in respect of 160,000 applications.
While it is difficult to put a definite value on the outstanding payments, I estimate they are of the order of £50 million based on 60 per cent advances.
Payments are continuing and I expect that the majority of outstanding cases where there are no problems with the applications will be paid their advances before the end of the year.
I believe that the record level of headage and premium payments achieved to date in 1993 — £340 million — is evidence of my commitment to delivering the various headage and premium grants to farmers at the earliest opportunity. These payment levels are being achieved against the background of EC arrangements which, while extremely valuable to farmers, are complex for farmers and my own Department. In this, the first year of the new CAP arrangements, I am satisfied that the Department is coming to terms with complexities and the extra administrative burden of CAP reform. I will not, of course, be content until we have fully overcome all the problems involved and I am currently reviewing our arrangements in the light of this year's experience. My aim is to ensure that we have the systems in place which will result in all payments being made at the earliest possible date.