Farming Methods (Hansard, 4 February 1988)

§ 5. Mr. Haynes
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research his Department is conducting into the environmental consequences of less intensive farming methods.

§ Mr. Gummer
The Ministery is studying the environmental effects of various forms of less intensive farming in 1144 a wide range of research projects, and we shall be closely monitoring the effects of supporting traditional farming practices in the environmentally sensitive areas.

§ Mr. Haynes
Is the Minister aware that the de-intensification of farming practices will help this nation and the people by reducing the pollution of the air? It will mean a massive reduction in these wicked and terrible chemicals that are planted on our land, in our environment and in the air that we breathe. Is the Minister aware that I believe in the birds and the bees, the squirrels and the rabbits? It will help the environment of our nation if the Minister travels the right road. What sort of options are open? What is he going to encourage the farmers to do?

§ Mr. Gummer
The hon. Gentleman's vigour and enthusiasm come from the fact that he can enjoy the most varied diet that people have been able to enjoy for generations. That is because of the sensible use of modern farming techniques. I would not want to do anything to denigrate the important advances in farming techniques over the past 100 years, many of which have been made possible by benign chemicals. However, I hope the hon. Gentleman will agree that, for the first time, we have made major advances in encouraging organic farming and in research into various forms of de-intensification. I cannot say, however, that I have any specific research programme on either squirrels or rabbits.

§ Sir Geoffrey Finsberg
I thank my right hon. Friend for his answer to that rather robust question from the hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Haynes). Will he bear in mind that real advantages will be apparent in East Anglia, for example, not merely for the birds, bees and butterflies, but for cuckoo spit and the general enhancement of the countryside, if we do something about the hedgerows?

§ Mr. Gummer
I am sure that my hon. Friend would agree that it was sensible that three of the environmentally sensitive areas that were recently designated included the Suffolk river valleys, the Brecklands and the Broads. We are going to great trouble 1.0 ensure that the farming practices carried out in those areas will encourage all that my hon. Friend would want, including cuckoo spit.

§ Mr. Ron Davies
If the Minister seriously favours less-intensive farming, can he explain to the House why the Ministry is currently considering proposals to pay farmers more than £100 an acre to do nothing?

§ Mr. Gummer
Clearly the hon. Gentleman has not read our proposals. We are not going to pay farmers to do nothing. We are going to pay some farmers to look after the land in a way that is environmentally satisfactory, but will not produce extra crops which we cannot sell and which are an additional cost to the taxpayer. We believe that to be a sensible policy. If the hon. Gentleman wishes to oppose Government policy, he should first read that policy.