APPENDIX 12
Memorandum submitted by Wessex Regional
Service Centre (E16)
WESSEX—BRISTOL
1. DESCRIPTION
OF THE
AREA AND
TYPE OF
FARMING
The Wessex Regional Service Centre is situated
at the far north of the region on the outskirts of Bristol. The
Wessex region covers Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and the former
County of Avon (comprising the City of Bristol, South Gloucestershire,
North Somerset, and Bath & North East Somerset). Its total
agricultural area is just over 800,000 hectares with just under
20,000 holdings.
Dairy farming predominates in much of Somerset
and Dorset, with livestock rearing widespread throughout the region.
There are two significant areas of hill farming, the Quantock
Hills and Exmoor in West Somerset. Forty per cent of the agricultural
land in the region is in arable production, centred mainly around
Wiltshire and Dorset. There are three Environmentally Sensitive
Areas (ESAs) within the region, Exmoor, the Someset Levels and
Moors and the South Wessex Downs. Three other ESAs, the Blackdown
Hills, the Cotswolds and the Avon Valley also lie partly in the
region, but are administered from neighbouring RSCs.
Badgers are spread widely throughout the region,
and the RSC receives more than a quarter of all English applications
under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 to interfere with badger
setts to prevent serious damage.
2. UPTAKE AND
ADMINISTRATION OF
SCHEMES
ARABLE AREA PAYMENTS SCHEME (AAPS) 1999
| Claims | Total grant £k
| Average grant £k | % paid by EU deadline
|
| 3,306 | 56,771 | 17.2
| 97.48 |
| | |
|
BEEF SPECIAL PREMIUM SCHEME (BSPS) 1998
| Applicants | Total paid £k
| % paid by EU deadline |
| 4,039 | 12,643 | 98.77
|
| | |
SUCKLER COW PREMIUM SCHEME (SCPS) 1998
| Claims | Total paid £k
| % paid by EU deadline |
| 1,925 | 8,022 | 99.61
|
| | |
SHEEP ANNUAL PREMIUM SCHEME (SAPS) 1998
| Claims | Total paid £k
| Average payment £k | % claims paid by deadline
|
| 2,375 | 9,703 | 4.0
| 99.5 |
| | |
|
HILL LIVESTOCK COMPENSATORY ALLOWANCES (HLCA) 2000
| Eligible claims | Total allowances paid £k
| Average payment £k | % eligible claims paid by deadline
|
| 266 | 1,412 | 5.3
| 99.25 |
| |
| |
ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS 1998-99
| Agreements | Total payments due £k
| Average grant £k | % paid by EU deadline
|
| 1,882 | 5,510 | 2.9
| 96.8 |
| | |
|
COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP SCHEME 1991-99
| Agreements | Budget £k
|
| 826 | 3,217 |
| |
FARM WOODLAND/FARM WOODLAND PREMIUM SCHEMES 1.4.92-31.3.00
| Approvals | Expenditure £k
|
| 479 | 557 |
| |
ORGANIC FARMING SCHEME (OFS) 1999
| Applicants | First year commitment of expenditure £k
| Average value per case (first year) £k
|
| 226 | 2,526 | 11.1
|
| | |
ORGANIC AID SCHEME (OAS) 1999
| Applicants | Payments £k
| Average value £k |
| 113 | 230 | 2.0
|
| | |
PROTECTION OF BADGERS ACT 1992 1.4.98-31.3.99
| Applications | Licences issued
| % meeting Citizen's Charter target |
| 173 | 183 | 95.4
|
| | |
WILDLIFE AND COUNTRYSIDE ACT 1.4.98-31.3.99
| Applications | Licences issued
| % meeting Citizen's Charter target |
| 34 | 10 | 97.1
|
| | |
3. ENQUIRIES
In 1999 Wessex RSC received a total of 5,598 visitors. There
were 109,015 incoming telephone calls received by the switchboard.
The RSC received 1,566 Citizen's Charter letters between 1.4.99
and 31.3.00 and it replied to 1,435 (91.6 per cent) within 10
working days.
4. NUMBER OF
STAFF
Staff in post at 1 April 2000—190.5. (Business Plan
for 2000-01 indicates a staffing need in the region of 224.)
5. FACILITIES AVAILABLE
There are reception facilities to deal with up to six visitors
at any one time in the foyer and a small interview room if visitors
need privacy. On-site car parking is available for 150 vehicles
and the site (occupied by other Departments as well as MAFF) has
a conference suite. There are facilities for disabled staff and
visitors. There is no staff restaurant.
6. USE OF
IT
No regional difference or exercises.
7. PERFORMANCE MEASURES
Performance measures are indicated in the tables under Paragraph
2—Schemes and in Paragraph 3—Enquiries.
8. RELATIONSHIPS WITH
OTHER AGENCIES
Wessex RSC has regular contact with other government agencies
such as the Government Office for the South West based at Bristol.
It also has regular contacts with local authorities and agricultural
organisations covering a wide sector of the industry within the
Wessex Region. [1]Regional
Agri-Environment Consultation Group meetings have been held bi-annually,
chaired by the Regional Director. Such meetings are attended by
statutory partners, such as the Countryside Agency, Environment
Agency, English Nature, English Heritage and by other organisations
such as the National Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection
of Birds, the Council for the Protection of Rural England, the
World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Exmoor National Park Authority,
Forestry Commission, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, Ramblers
Association, County Councils and Farming and Rural Conservation
Agency.
The RSC also holds bi-annual Rural Liaison Meetings with
regional representatives from agricultural organisations such
as National Farmers Union, Country Landowners Association, Tenant
Farmers Association, Women's Food and Farming Union, Transport
and General Workers Union and consumer groups. Representatives
from Agricultural Colleges attend on occasion.
9. LOCAL INITIATIVES
OR CIRCUMSTANCES
Like other RSCs we hold IACS "surgeries" in various
parts of the region enabling farmers to hand in their forms to
MAFF staff in the run up to the IACS deadline. Wessex RSC offers
placements for work experience for pupils from local schools in
Bristol. Over the last few years there has been an excellent uptake.
11 May 2000
1
To be reformed under RDR as National Rural Development Forum on
a Government Office basis. Back
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