Agricultural Set-Aside Scheme (Hansard, 29 November 1988)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Trumpington)
My Lords, the Government have taken care to build into the set-aside scheme provisions to prevent adverse environmental effects. Moreover, there is ample scope for set-aside to enhance the environment. I would commend to the noble Lord, Lord Mackie of Benshie, the Ministry's practical guide, which sets out many ways in which this might be achieved.

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for her Answer. Is she aware that it is possible to take the set-aside on a whole farm and thereafter to plant that land? Is the Minister also aware of the story that wealthy forestry groups have been buying up land in Aberdeenshire for this purpose? The Minister is surely aware that if whole farms, which are not on the best agricultural land, are planted with forestry, that would make a desert of large areas.

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, there is provision that that land must have been used for arable purposes last year before set-aside can be taken up. We do not yet have the full details of how many farmers are setting aside 100 per cent. There are some farmers who want to set aside all their arable land, but we understand that that is likely to be only a small minority. Many farmers will be maintaining other non-arable land in production. Like other participants they will still be required to maintain their falloWed land in good agricultural condition and to comply with rules designed to avoid environmental harm.

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords, will the Minister be prepared to refuse permission on environmental grounds to set aside whole farms?

§ Baroness Trumpington
No, my Lords, I could not give that undertaking. It will be a question of horses for courses. We have our farm woodlands scheme which is separate from set-aside and which has great environmental benefits.

§ Lord Carter
My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that virtually all the organisations connected with environmental issues regard the set-aside policy 178 as being less than helpful to the environment and that it is an opportunity missed? Is the Minister further aware that by far the most environmentally friendly way to use the set-aside land is through graze grassland? There is considerable disappointment among environmentalists that the Government have rejected this option which I believe has been adopted by six other member states in the Community.

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, I entirely disagree with the first part of the noble Lord's question. If he were familiar with the practical guide, as he should be, he would note that it includes creating good wildlife habitats and conservation headlands; that it advises on how to avoid bird damage; and that, among other things, it is concerned with amenity areas and organic farming. It very much brings out the benefit of conservation of the landscape. As regards the green fallow question, we are concerned that our beef farmers, dairy farmers and sheep farmers should not be burdened with people coming in and producing extra animals, which would kill the market in this country. I have no idea how other countries cope with that problem.

§ Lord Walston
My Lords, can the Minister give us an assurance as regards the leaching of nitrates into the waterways as a result of set-aside and particularly some forms of bare fallowing? I understand that there is evidence that that may take place. Will the noble Baroness confirm that that is so and that the Ministry is prepared to take steps to see that it does not happen?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, the question of nitrates is a separate one from that on the Order Paper today. I shall be delighted to answer it at any time when the noble Lord raises it. As regards the scheme we are talking about, the noble Lord believes that it should have been directed at nitrate-sensitive areas; the EC rules provide for the scheme to be open to all farmers and not just to those in nitrate-sensitive areas.

§ Lord Gallacher
My Lords, will the noble Baroness agree that the set-aside scheme, which requires 20 per cent. of the land to be set aside in order to qualify under it, carries with it the risk of redundancy for many farm workers? Is the Minister further aware that because of the nature of the farm industry the only protection that farm workers have is the statutory government scheme? In those circumstances will the noble Baroness ask her right honourable friend the Minister to consider an approach to the Commission whereby some of the co-responsibility levy paid upon cereals by British farmers is funnelled back to this country in order to top-up redundancy payments to workers who are made redundant by reason of set-aside?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, first, we take the view that it is too early to make any forecasts. Secondly, any reductions in employment due to set-aside will be offset by new opportunities arising, for example, from the wide range of afternative uses allowed on set-aside land. We shall be evaluating the 179 impact of the scheme as it proceeds and I shall gladly take the noble Lord's question to my right honourable friend.

§ The Earl of Radnor
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that, from the point of view of the environment, it would perhaps be much better if set-aside land were allowed to fall back to nature? That is really what we are talking about. Are there any plans whereby that might be an allowable option rather than just the traditional fallow and green fallow, both of which cause a considerable amount of disturbance to plants, animals and insects?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, I am sorry; I am not quite sure that I understand my noble friend's question.

§ The Earl of Radnor
My Lords, perhaps I can assist my noble friend. Abandonment of land is what I mean.

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, there cannot be abandonment of land under the scheme because farmers are required to manage the land even though it is lying fallow. My noble friend may be interested to know that I recently visited one of our bigger seed companies. It is carrying out experiments with packs of seeds of wild flowers and different grasses. After sowing a most attractive sight would result.

§ Lord Carter
My Lords, is the Minister suggesting that arable farmers should put one-fifth of their land into weeds?

§ Baroness Trumpington
No, my Lords; that is not what I am suggesting.