High staff turnover at agency in farm payments fiasco

The Yorkshire Post can reveal that the average staff turnover at the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has run at little over 18 per cent each year since it was established in 2001.

The revelation follows heavy criticism of the RPA this year for handing taxpayers a 304m bill after racking up huge administration costs from failing to properly anticipate how many staff it would need to cope with demand.

Despite the need for extra staff more than 2,669 people have resigned from the agency since 2001 with a further 162 having been dismissed.

The figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that at the RPA's Yorkshire base near Northallerton the rate is slightly higher, with 19.2 per cent of staff leaving the agency every year, adding up to 570 in total.

Instead some 4,172 temporary staff were drafted in at further expense to the taxpayer.

The statistics lay bare the scope of the problems of staffing within the RPA, which Commons Public Accounts Committee chairman Edward Leigh branded a "masterclass of maladministration" following a critical National Audit Office report into its dealings.

The NAO's report also showed that the 305m cost of staffing contributed to nearly half of the 630m black hole that the RPA found in its finances.

Shadow Environment Secretary Nick Herbert blasted the findings. He said: "It is no surprise that the agency which has repeatedly failed to deliver has a high turnover of staff.

"The dreadful mess Labour have made of the delivery of the Single Payment Scheme has not only left farmers out of pocket, it has left RPA staff with low morale and seeking a new employer."