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| Saudi Arabian billionaire Khalid Abdullah al Saud handed £400,000 by taxpayers every year | Saudi Arabian billionaire Khalid Abdullah al Saud handed £400,000 by taxpayers every year |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Saudi Arabian billionaire is among those handed hundreds of thousands of pounds every year in farm subsidies at the expense of taxpayers. | A Saudi Arabian billionaire is among those handed hundreds of thousands of pounds every year in farm subsidies at the expense of taxpayers. |
| Khalid Abdullah al Saud, who owns the champion racehorse Frankel, receives over £400,000 a year through Juddmonte Limited Farms, and is among the top 100 recipients of European Union farming subsidies in Britain. | Khalid Abdullah al Saud, who owns the champion racehorse Frankel, receives over £400,000 a year through Juddmonte Limited Farms, and is among the top 100 recipients of European Union farming subsidies in Britain. |
| Other major beneficiaries include the Queen, the Duke of Westminster, the National Trust and the RSPB. | Other major beneficiaries include the Queen, the Duke of Westminster, the National Trust and the RSPB. |
| The largest recipient on the list is Frank Smart, whose Aberdeenshire farm saw him receive a total payment of £2,963,732.77. | The largest recipient on the list is Frank Smart, whose Aberdeenshire farm saw him receive a total payment of £2,963,732.77. |
| “I don't want to discuss any part of my business with the media, thank you," he has said. | “I don't want to discuss any part of my business with the media, thank you," he has said. |
| Following the vote to leave the EU, the government has pledged to cover the billions required to maintain the system after Brexit. | Following the vote to leave the EU, the government has pledged to cover the billions required to maintain the system after Brexit. |
| Greenpeace branded the payments to billionaires “an outrage”. | Greenpeace branded the payments to billionaires “an outrage”. |
| The organisation’s chief scientist said: “The subsidy system is utterly broken. We need public money spent on farming to be offering demonstrable public benefits.” | The organisation’s chief scientist said: “The subsidy system is utterly broken. We need public money spent on farming to be offering demonstrable public benefits.” |
| But a spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: “Subsidies are open to all farmers, and are received on the Queen's private estate. We would not comment beyond the detail that is already in the public domain.” | But a spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: “Subsidies are open to all farmers, and are received on the Queen's private estate. We would not comment beyond the detail that is already in the public domain.” |
| The identities of many of the largest recipients of EU farm subsidies are hidden through the use of offshore trusts. | The identities of many of the largest recipients of EU farm subsidies are hidden through the use of offshore trusts. |
| Subsidies for farming have been in place since the end of the Second World War, but eventually led to the overproduction of food. | Subsidies for farming have been in place since the end of the Second World War, but eventually led to the overproduction of food. |
| The existing system is now based on the amount of land farmers own. | The existing system is now based on the amount of land farmers own. |
| According to the BBC, a spokesman for Prince Al Saud declined to comment. The Independent has also reached out to the Prince for a statement. |