WELSH LIBERAL DEMOCRAT EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER TIR GOFAL "FARCE"

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 19th Mar 2007

Welsh Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Rural Affairs Mick Bates AM, has tabled a series of urgent questions to Assembly Minister Carwyn Jones following Tir Gofal Farmers Association claims that over 2000 applications remain unprocessed.

The responsibility over Tir Gofal has passed from the Countryside Council for Wales to the Welsh Assembly Government and, according to Tir Gofal Farmers Association, this passage has been anything but smooth.

Mick Bates said: "Welsh Liberal Democrats believe that support payments to farmers provide one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly ways of protecting Welsh farming and the countryside and I am deeply concerned to hear that the processing of Tir Gofal payments may have been delayed due to the transfer of functions from CCW to the Labour Assembly Government.

"Labour have a history of late payments to farmers and bad management of rural affairs in Wales and, with the Assembly elections fast approaching, this is not something they can be proud of.

"The best hope for farmers is for a new government after the May elections. "

Notes:

Mick Bates has tabled the following questions to the Assembly Minister for Rural Affairs:

Mick Bates (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister make a statement on the transfer of the Tir Gofal functions of the Countryside Council for Wales to the Welsh Assembly Government. (WAQ49914)

Mick Bates (Montgomeryshire): How many new Tir Gofal applications have been received since the transfer of the Tir Gofal functions of the Countryside Council for Wales to the Welsh Assembly Government. (WAQ49915)

Mick Bates (Montgomeryshire): How many new Tir Gofal applications remain unprocessed since the transfer of the Tir Gofal functions of the Countryside Council for Wales to the Welsh Assembly Government began. (WAQ49916)

Mick Bates (Montgomeryshire): How long will it take for the Tir Gofal applications backlog to be cleared following the transfer of the Tir Gofal functions of the Countryside Council for Wales to the Welsh Assembly Government. (WAQ49917)

Mick Bates (Montgomeryshire): How many new Tir Gofal applications have been visited or mapped by Assembly Officials since the transfer of the Tir Gofal functions of the Countryside Council for Wales to the Welsh Assembly Government. (WAQ49918)

Mick Bates (Montgomeryshire): Have there been delays in Tir Gofal payments due to the transfer of the Tir Gofal functions of the Countryside Council for Wales to Welsh Assembly Government. (WAQ49922)

Mick Bates (Montgomeryshire): How is the Minister ensuring that no important data gets lost during the transfer of the Tir Gofal functions of the Countryside Council for Wales to the Welsh Assembly Government. (WAQ49919)

Mick Bates (Montgomeryshire): What work was done to ensure compatibility of the mapping systems of the Countryside Council for Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government before the transfer of the Tir Gofal functions of the Countryside Council for Wales to the Welsh Assembly Government began. (WAQ49920)

Mick Bates (Montgomeryshire): Can the Minister assure individuals and organisations that no delay in either the processing of applications or payments will result as a consequence of the transfer of the Tir Gofal functions of the Countryside Council for Wales to the Welsh Assembly Government. (WAQ49921)

Ends/diwedd