Scrutiny of Rural Development Programme must improve, auditors say

The Wales Audit Office report calls for greater scrutiny of the RDP
The Wales Audit Office report calls for greater scrutiny of the RDP

Scrutiny of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) spearheaded by the Welsh Government must be improved, a new report says.

The 7-year investment programme is jointly funded by the EU and the Welsh Government, and aims to foster competitiveness in the agricultural industry.

It also aims to improve action on management of natural resources and climate change.

But a new report by the Wales Audit Office calls for the programme to be improved in the face of Brexit.

In their report two key recommendations are made. Firstly, that the current scrutiny arrangements for the management and delivery of the RDP that are in place at the moment should be improved, and secondly that risk management arrangements for the RDP should be clarified and documented.

The report further outlines the importance in viewing wider economic changes and adopting a flexible approach to adapt the programme where necessary.

It also outlines the need to increase the rates of commitment and spending in order to maximise the amount of EU funding that can be drawn down prior to Brexit.

Furthermore the report argues that Welsh Government should ensure that during the transition to any replacement for rural development funds, the department’s expertise is retained, either in the replacement programme or in the wider Welsh public service.