DEFRA BONUSES SOAR DESPITE POOR PERFORMANCE - HUHNE

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 8th Nov 2006

DEFRA bonuses soared despite department failings over single farm payments.

Officials in the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs received more than £7 million in bonuses in the last two years despite the failure of the English single farm payments scheme, a provision for £131 million of losses in the accounts, as well as financial crisis in British farming.

The figures, revealed in parliamentary answers to the Liberal Democrats, show that the annual performance bonuses in this financial year soared by 27 per cent compared with last year to reach nearly £4.3 million.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP said:

"Defra says it deserves more when it is doing well, and even more when it is making a complete mess of things. Under exactly what circumstances will these performance bonuses ever decrease?

"The fiasco over the single farm payments in England is the biggest bureaucratic bungle ever to afflict rural areas. It is astonishing that David Miliband thinks this is the appropriate moment to write large cheques to his officials.

"The Government clearly has no idea how to motivate its staff, handing out money regardless of performance. However, given that Margaret Beckett was the minister responsible for choosing this unworkable system only to be promoted to mismanage Britain's foreign policy, perhaps we should not be surprised."