Beckett failure on farm payments

Former Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett and senior Defra officials should be called to account for the "fiasco" over the implementation of a new Single Payments Scheme for farmers, an all-party committee of MPs has said.

The warning comes from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee in a report which calls the handling of the introduction of the new EU Single Payments Scheme (SPS) for farmers a "catastrophe" and a "serious and embarrassing failure for Defra and the RPA".

Committee chairman Michael Jack MP said: "This report is as much about failed policy implementation as it is about a lack of accountability.

"The reason that we are calling for people to consider their positions is because of Defra's failure to carry out one of its principal core functions. Whatever one's view about the CAP, Defra has a duty to ensure that farmers receive the payments to which they are entitled. In this case Defra failed to do this on time and on budget.

"The report confirms that responsibility and accountability stretches from the top of Defra all the way to the Rural Payments Agency, but so far only one man has paid for this failure by losing his job, the former RPA chief executive Johnston McNeill.

"We believe if accountability is to mean anything then the position of others must now be seriously questioned. Those involved should examine their consciences about the role they played in this failed venture which could well cost Defra and farmers up to half a billion pounds."

In its report, the Committee questions why some of those in the Defra and RPA leaderships most closely involved, in particular the former Secretary of State Margaret Beckett, the former Permanent Secretary Sir Brian Bender and the Director General for Sustainable Farming, Food and Fisheries, Andy Lebrecht, have moved on unscathed or stayed in post.

The MPs' report says: "A culture where ministers and senior officials can preside over failure of this magnitude and not be held personally accountable creates a serious risk of further failures in public service delivery.

"Accountability should mean that good results are rewarded but a failure as serious as this of a Department to deliver one of its fundamental functions should result in the removal from post of those to whom the faulty policy design and implementation can be attributed."

The Committee said it should be the case that when a Department fails to deliver a key programme right at the heart of its fundamental responsibilities the holder of the office of Secretary of State should not be rewarded with promotion, but its reverse.

Has anybody got the balls to tell Beckett she's fired? Mind you her new approach to getting the release of the marines in Iran is an interesting one. If they are not released she is threatening to take her annual holidays in Iran, with caravan.

Chris Sabian, Peak District View- 2007-03-29 03:03:30

Beckett still in caravan club

Reports in national newspapers that Derby south MP and foreign secretary Margaret Beckett has been banned from caravanning because of a security risk have been rubbished.

A spokeswoman for Mrs Beckett said "The Becketts intend to continue going caravanning for their main holiday, She's not under pressure."

She declined to discuss security arrangement for the caravan trips, but it is understood protection officers have to travel too.

It has been reported the Becketts had three Special Branch officers in tow on a trip to France last year. From that I deduce she must have a five berth van.

Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-03-07 13:16:46