Lesley Griffiths, Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales and Trefnydd
I wish to update Members of the Senedd on the number of BPS Advance payments which will be made tomorrow, 15 October.
97% of claimants will receive a BPS Advance payment worth 70% of their estimated full claim value. Over £159.6m will be paid to more than 15,600 Welsh farm businesses.
Following the end of the EU Exit Implementation Period, I introduced legislation which simplified the requirements of BPS for 2021 and beyond. This also allowed Rural Payments Wales (RPW) to make BPS Advance payments prior to December without the need to complete claim validation or receive a separate application.
Making BPS Advance payments provides an early payment to the vast majority of farm businesses in Wales, giving the industry financial certainty, during what continues to be an extremely challenging and uncertain time.
Full and remaining balance BPS 2021 payments will continue to be made from 15 December 2021, subject to full validation of a BPS claim. RPW will use the next two months to maximise the number of farmers receiving these payments early in the payment window.
I expect all but the most complex BPS claims will be fully validated and all payments made before the end of the payment window on 30 June 2022.