Disclosure of financial payments in relation to these specific fields

Summary

The requester sought agricultural financial payment data for specific fields from 2007 to 2019, but the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed that no field-by-field records existed prior to 2009 and no payments were made for the requested fields between 2009 and 2018.

Key Facts

• No field-by-field payment information is held for 2007 and 2008 as the Agricultural Development Scheme was introduced in 2009.
• None of the requested fields were claimed for payments between 2009 and 2018.
• The requester had claimed payments for these fields in 2019 under the 'Flat Rate' scheme.
• Field number 124133 was not found in records, though field 124134 was claimed.
• The 2019 area payment rate is £78.20 per eligible acre for land below the Mountain Line.

Data Disclosed

• 2007
• 2008
• 2009
• 2018
• 2019
• 124136
• 124135
• 124133
• 124132
• 124763
• 124762
• 124764
• 124134
• £78.20
• 891665
• 2019-07-22
• 2019-08-20

Original Request

Please could you provide agricultural financial payment information in any form to any person(s) by the Isle of Man Government from 2007 to 2019 relating to the agriculture land currently denoted by the following field numbers: 124136 124135 124133 124132 124763 124762 124764

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator Corporate Services Directorate Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road, St John’s, Isle of Man, IM4 3AS Tel no (01624) 685854 Fax no (01624 685851 Email: defa@gov.im www.gov.im

20th August 2019 Our ref: 891665 Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on the 22nd July 2019 and which states:

"Please could you provide agricultural financial payment information in any form to any person(s) by the Isle of Man Government from 2007 to 2019 relating to the agriculture land currently denoted by the following field numbers: 124136 124135 124133 124132 124763 124762 124764"

Our response to your request is as follows: 2007 and 2008 While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, the Agricultural Development Scheme, (the mechanism by which Tynwald pays farmers by the area farmed and consequently requires farmers to make claims for specific fields) was introduced in 2009 under its previous guise as the Countryside Care Scheme. Prior to that no payments were made on a field by field basis and so no information is held for the years 2007 and 2008. 2009 to 2018 None of the fields were claimed during this period and consequently no payment was made. 2019 “Flat Rate” payment Area payments for the 2019 Scheme year will be based on £78.20 per eligible acre for land below the Mountain Line. It is noted that you have yourself claimed for these fields in 2019. As the year is only part complete it is not possible to say what will be paid in relation to these fields for the entire year however you will have been informed of the basis of your full payment in the first payment letter sent in July.

Field number 124133 / 4 It is also worth noting that field number 124133 has not been found. Field number 124134 however has been claimed. Please quote the reference number 891665 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi. I will now close your request as of this date. Yours sincerely