Sheep Records Mislaid On Shopping Trip? Mps Investigate...

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 8th Jul 2003

MPs on the influential Public Accounts Committee have been investigating fraudulent claims for the Annual Sheep Premium based on inaccurate records of Northern Ireland's sheep flocks.

Farmers are not required to produce up-to-date records on demand, but are granted a 10 day grace period. As a result, the system is wide open to abuse.

David Rendel MP used last week's hearing to question officials from Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. "Why is it", he asked, "that farmers are allowed ten days to produce their flock records following an inspection, during which they could write up new records to be in line with the inspectors' findings?"

Because, came the reply, there are all sorts of reasons why farmers might not be able to produce records on demand. For example, the records might be in the car... and the farmer's wife might be out on a shopping trip!

Mr Rendel said:

"This is one of the most extraordinary excuses I have ever heard. Why on earth would anybody put sheep records in their car? Surely, inspectors should be able to check this information without being told that the flock lists are out shopping!"