I was pleased to hear last week of Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones' announcement that almost £8 million will be allocated for the development of online services for farmers in Wales. This will allow farmers or their representatives to complete their Single Application Forms (SAF) and apply for their payments online.

In the discussion on the review of the Common Agricultural Policy in the European Parliament, all parties have been consistently calling for simplification of the process. But not many seem to be able to think of concrete ways of achieving this. That's why I welcome this practical step by Elin Jones. For those farmers who wish to change to electronic applications, being able to apply online will reduce paper work and reduce the risk of the mistakes which can often delay the payments.

Direct payments are essential to Welsh farmers, contributing between 80 and 90% of Welsh farmers' income. All farming sectors in Wales would be non-viable without CAP payments. It is therefore essential that we make sure that the process is as easy as possible. A modernised process is a step forward. Being able to easily monitor the progress of their application is also a bonus for farmers. The Glastir Review Group has just reported back, and one of their recommendations is for more to be done electronically. Additionally, electronic applications reduce the Welsh Assembly Government's carbon footprint as well as reducing the administration costs entailed.

Amendments to the European Parliament's report on the future of the CAP were handed in this week. I submitted a number of amendments, including that there should be a transition time of at least five years before the change from a historical based payment to an area based payment. For the sake of Welsh farmers, I sincerely hope that this amendment wins the necessary support in the Parliament's Agriculture Committee. Before the vote in May, the committee will be considering hundreds, possibly thousands, of amendments. The most important issues will include deciding on the priorities for the CAP, which for me is obvious that it should be the production of food in a sustainable way. We will also be voting on whether priority should be given to active farming and young farmers, and whether payments should be capped for the larger farm corporations. I have heard this week that the Commission's legislative proposals for the CAP will be delayed, in order to wait for an announcement on the budget.

An initial report from the budget committee looks promising, with a recommendation to maintain the CAP budget at 2013 levels included. This is much more positive than the UK government's position - they want to significantly cut the budget, a position which is not shared by the Plaid Cymru-driven Welsh government.

The £8 million investment shows that even in the face of massive cuts by the UK government, the Welsh government are still able to finance projects that will directly improve the quality of life for farmers. I am confident that the farmers who decide to use the online services will enjoy a real benefit.

Diwedd/Ends