HC Deb 05 May 1994 vol 242 cc835-6
13. Mr. Ian Taylor

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will report on progress on the introduction of the new environmentally sensitive areas.

Mr. Jack

I am pleased to be able to confirm to the House that six new environmentally sensitive areas were launched on 16 March, bringing the total number in England to 22. Those cover more than 1 million hectares or 10 per cent. of English farmland.

Mr. Taylor

My hon. Friend is aware of the beautiful countryside of Surrey in which my constituency is located and so will appreciate my constituents' great interest in environmental matters. How much is he spending on the new environmentally sensitive areas and how much is he spending on environmental protection generally?

Mr. Jack

I hope that many of my hon. Friend's constituents will be able to enjoy the delights of the environmentally sensitive areas, particularly those in the upper Thames region. Current expenditure will be £18 million, and, with the enlargement to 22 environmentally sensitive areas, that sum will increase to £43 million in 1995–96. In that financial year, the proposals will take their part in a programme valued at more than £100 million, which covers a wide range of environmental schemes.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

Has the Minister heard stories of some very large payments of hundreds of thousands of pounds being made to some farmers in various parts of the United Kingdom? Is he absolutely satisfied that the amounts of money that are being paid in some cases are warranted?

Mr. Jack

The word "stories" implies a lack of precision and a great deal of rumour. I have had reports of accurate payments to farmers. Under the integrated administration and control system, arable area payments have been correctly and properly administered. If the hon. Gentleman has stories about that scheme or about environmentally sensitive areas and lets me know, I will look into them.

Mr. Alan Howarth

In considering environmental sensitivity, will my hon. Friend bear in mind the fact that a large number of people suffer from hay fever? Oilseed rape is a particularly virulent source of that affliction. Will he seek to balance the interests of farming prosperity with the interests of the health and well-being of people who live in country areas and pursue work through the research councils with a view to ensuring that this unfortunate by-product of some of our staple crops is reduced and perhaps eliminated?

Mr. Jack

I can confirm that there is much research going on in that subject. I feel that the thrust of my hon. Friend's question is better directed to the Department of Health and to those who issue weather and pollen forecasts. There is much interest in growing oilseed rape, which is an important crop for our farmers. There are other ways of dealing with the problems encountered by individuals.

Mr. Nicholls

I welcome that reply, but does my hon. Friend accept that environmentally sensitive areas and other forms of area designation must be considered in conjunction with industry's legitimate needs? If we pay too much attention to the environment—given the pressures that can exist—we can sometimes positively damage rather than enhance it. Unfashionable though it may be to say it, we must achieve the right balance.

Mr. Jack

My hon. Friend may have noted that implicit in an earlier answer that I gave on farm diversification was the message that we want economic activity to develop in the countryside. Part of the key to achieving that is to take a sensible and flexible approach to planning. My hon. Friend will be pleased to know that the Ministry is involved in seminars dealing with those particular issues. The Department of the Environment is aware of the sensitivities of the matters that lie at the heart of my hon. Friend's question.