Audit report slams CAP delivery
THE PROGRAMME set up to deliver CAP support to the agricultural industry is continuing to fail Scotland’s farmers and crofters, at a growing cost to taxpayers.
That is the view of NFU Scotland, which cites Audit Scotland’s latest review of the CAP Futures programme which states it continues to have serious cost and operational issues, and is unlikely to ever deliver value for money.
A spokesperson for the NFU said: ‘The IT system’s inability to process and deliver applications for support in 2015 blew a £400 million hole in Scotland’s rural economy, and led to the Scottish Government putting national funding schemes in place to bridge the funding gap.
‘The catalogue of IT problems has caused lengthy delays, missed payment targets, and costs that have soared from an original estimate of £102 million to an estimated budget of £178 million. To compound matters, the scope of the programme has been scaled back. That led Audit Scotland to come to the alarming conclusion that, with £126 million already spent, funds could run out before the IT system fully meets European Commission regulations. According to the auditor, non-compliance could lead to financial penalties of between £40million and £125million being imposed on the Scottish Government.’
NFU Scotland has twice provided written evidence to Audit Scotland on the CAP Futures programme and, in autumn 2015, urged the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment committee to scrutinise the programme’s ability to properly deliver support to farmers and crofters.
NFU Scotland President Allan Bowie said: ‘The damming report from the auditor general on the Scottish Government’s calamitous CAP IT programme shows just how poorly Scottish farmers, crofters and taxpayers have been served with the unedifying prospect that the programme may never be fit for purpose.
‘Far from being ‘back on track’, the legacy of failure is continuing and this report will guarantee confidence in the system remains shot. Our new Cabinet Secretary must get to grips with this debacle. At this late stage, noone knows if the Scottish Government can meet the EU requirement to pay 95.25 per cent of support by June 30 and that is an appalling state of affairs.’