MP says rural payments review must include IT

The government is being urged to ensure its review of problems at the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) includes consideration of the organisation’s IT systems and supplier Accenture.

The RPA has faced considerable criticism for delayed payment of farm subsidies and spiraling technology costs.

The agency is currently paying farmers 80 per cent of unchecked claims on an interim basis, and former chief executive Johnson McNeil has been removed from his post.

Labour MP David Taylor says a root-and-branch review, already ordered by previous environment secretary Margaret Beckett, must include ‘an assessment of the success or otherwise of the specification, designs, development, implementation and operation of the IT system’.

‘Will the review also consider the role of Accenture – a company whose performance had been patchy, to put it kindly, and that of the Office of Government Commerce, whose purpose is supposed to be to advise government on these matters?’ he asked.

Environment, food and rural affairs secretary David Miliband has warned that making next year’s payments on time will be challenging and has authorised compensation payments of interest for farmers whose 2005 payments are not made by 1 July this year.

He says he will decide by October whether to authorise interim payments to farmers next year if it seems likely that full payments will be delayed.

Miliband says those conducting the review ‘will seek to learn all possible lessons from this year’s difficulties.’

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