Fewer BPS inspections during 2020

Farmers in NI will be subject to fewer inspections for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) during 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

New regulations have been published by DAERA which state a minimum of 1% of BPS claimants must be inspected, down from 5% previously.

In the young farmers’ scheme, 3% of recipients will be subject to checks in 2020, which compares to 5% in other years.

The regulations also give DAERA the authority to conduct all inspections remotely this year by using the likes of satellite technologies.

RHI closure appears increasing unlikely

The possibility of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) closing for all existing claimants in NI appears increasingly unlikely. In January 2020, a cross-party commitment was given in the New Decade, New Approach deal to shut down the scheme.

However, Economy Minister Diane Dodds has described this as a “political agreement” and pointed out that the deal “is not an Executive approved policy document”. In the letter addressed to Andrew Trimble of the Renewable Heat Association, Minister Dodds talks about bringing forward options for the “long-term future” of RHI. “A series of complex issues relating to the option of closing the scheme are being considered which includes consideration of the possible impacts which closure might have upon the participants of the scheme and their expectations,” she said.

Iceland bottom of supplier survey

Across all major retailers, supermarket chain Iceland are the least likely to comply with the UK government’s groceries supply code of practice.

Iceland scored 81% in a survey of suppliers which assessed each retailer’s compliance with the code.

Discounter Aldi came out top on 96%. The code became law in the UK in 2009 and it aims to regulate the buying practices between supermarkets and their suppliers.

In the seven years since it has been enforced by the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA), all scores among retailers in the annual survey have improved.

Writing in her final annual report before stepping down, Christine Tacon said that the “initial work of the GCA is largely done” but acknowledged that there are growing calls for the scope of the code to be extended.