NFU wishes new RPA chief well

The NFU has reacted positively to news that Mark Grimshaw, former managing director at the Child Support Agency, has been appointed as new chief executive at the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). The appointment was announced by Defra Minister Jim Paice yesterday.

NFU President Peter Kendall said: I look forward to working constructively with Mark Grimshaw to make sure that the gradual improvements achieved over the past few years are not the end of the story.  The review of the RPA earlier this year made it abundantly clear that there are still plenty of challenges facing the agency and Defra.

The RPA has made progress, but we need more improvement before it is genuinely fit for purpose; there are still real hurdles to overcome in delivering accurate and timely SPS 2010 payments across the board.  The challenges will continue with what could well be a whole new regime after 2013.

Managing the changes needed, against a backdrop of severe public spending cuts, will be a real challenge for Mr Grimshaw. I trust his experience at the Child Support Agency will have equipped him for the task and I wish him all the very best in his new role.