Britain fined 74.5m pounds for late farm payments

The European Commission has fined Britain £74.5 million over the late payment of subsidies that pushed many farmers to the brink of financial collapse.

The penalty was imposed because the Government failed to pay farmers until over a year after they were due to receive the money in 2005.

The Rural Payments Agency was dogged by administrative and computer errors as Britain failed to meet the EU’s statutory deadline for getting subsidy cheques to farmers.