To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost was to his Department of issuing bridging payments to applicants of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme who have not received full payments on their 1 January 2017 applications.
Answered on
28 June 2018
A bridging payment is an advance funded by the UK Exchequer in advance of the full year payment. Customers will receive 75% of the current estimated value of their Countryside Stewardship 2017 claim. When the balance payment is made, the total amount paid is subject to the usual EU co-funding arrangements and is reimbursed from the EU budget; there is therefore no additional cost to the UK Exchequer budget.