Tony Cooper has been appointed Chief Executive of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) after an open competition chaired by the Civil Service Commission.  Mr. Cooper has latterly held the position as Interim Chief Executive.

As Chief Executive he will be personally responsible to DEFRA Ministers for the delivery of the RPA’s annual performance targets and to Parliament for ensuring propriety in the management of public funds.

He will continue the work he has instigated to ensure Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments in the UK, including the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) in England, animal tracing activities and regulatory inspections are delivered effectively and efficiently, taking into account the needs of customers.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: “I am very appreciative of the significant contribution Tony Cooper has made to the work of the Rural Payments Agency over the last two years and I’d like to offer my best wishes to him on his appointment as he continues to improve RPA performance.”