Hill Livestock (Compensatory Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations 1982

HL Deb 20 December 1982 vol 437 cc910-1

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, I beg to move that the Hill Livestock (Compensatory Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations 1982, a copy of which were laid before the House on 23rd November, be approved. The Hill Livestock (Compensatory Allowances) Regulations 1979 permit the payment of compensatory allowances in the less favoured areas in the United Kingdom. The European Community decided in July of last year, under the European Commission's decision of 82/656, that the Scilly Isles should be designated as part of the United Kingdom Less-Favoured Areas. The purpose of this order before your Lordships today is essentially to permit compensatory allowances to be paid for elegible cattle and sheep in the Scilly Isles from 1st January 1983. Enhanced rates of capital and other grants which are payable under the Community's Less-Favoured Areas Directive, have been available since July.

The incorporation of the Scilly Isles is a change of some value to their economy. The payment of compensatory allowances will go some way towards offsetting the natural handicaps—not least their general isolation—which make it difficult to farm economically in the islands.

The regulations also amend Section 9 of the 1979 Regulations by providing for recovery of the whole or any part of a claim for compensatory allowances in cases where the claimant has failed to gather a herd or flock for inspection, or failed to produce the necessary records. This enables us to enforce an existing requirement which is necessary to ensure that payments are correctly made. I venture to suggest that this is a simple order. I beg to move that it be approved.

Moved, That the Hill Livestock (Compensatory Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations 1982 be approved.—(Earl Ferrers.)

Lord John-Mackie

My Lords, the noble Earl says that this is a simple order. The only point I would make is that it aifects sheep only and, as we all know, the balance between beef animals and sheep on the hills has gone rather astray. The beefcow herds have gone down and it would be a pity if that balance is not put right and the beefcow situation improved. I hope that that will happen in the near future. Meantime, we approve this order.

On Question, Motion agreed to.

House adjourned at ten minutes before seven o'clock.