Nitrogen Vulnerable Zones: Designations (Hansard, 20 March 1996)

Lord Lucas
My Lords, the Government are expected to announce very shortly the nitrate vulnerable zone designations in England and Wales following the review by the independent panel chaired by Mr. Terence Etherton QC, which reported to Ministers in October 1995.
Later this year the Government expect to make regulations establishing the action programme measures which will place obligations on farmers in the zones, and which must be in force by December 1999. The measures have been the subject of a recent consultation. The Government are taking account of the responses received and, following further consultation, the action programme regulations will be laid before the House. Guidance for farmers will be issued at the same time.

Viscount Addison
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Is he aware that catchments of some very low nitrate boreholes, amounting to several tens of thousands of acres, may be designated in order to assist water companies in blending with high nitrate water? Is it still the Government's intention to compensate farmers, where those measures go beyond the code of good agricultural practice?

Lord Lucas
My Lords, we believe that the proposed measures are based on good agricultural practice and will not, therefore, impose obligations on farmers who, in any event, should be subject to the polluter pays principle, as indeed is everyone else.
As regards the designation of low nitrate boreholes within NVZs, yes, some have been so designated. But they have been designated not for the convenience of water companies, but in order that nitrate vulnerable zones should have sensible boundaries and should not appear like a lace patchwork over the countryside.

§ Baroness Nicol
My Lords, will the Minister give any indication of the costs per pig or cow of setting aside secure areas for manure storage and of the losses caused to farmers by the lower stocking in those areas? Is he aware that many small farmers are on the edge of viability? Unless a sensible arrangement is reached on compensation, they will be forced out of business.

Lord Lucas
My Lords, I do not think that compensation enters into it. We believe that our proposals are based on good agricultural practice, 1275 involving such measures as not spreading manure on the land when the vegetation is in no condition to make good use of it.
As regards putting manure into storage so that it can be spread on the land at the right times, we estimate that the total cost including capital on an annualised basis for England and Wales will be £3 million a year. That is not excessive in the context of the industry as a whole.

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, does my noble friend recall that for a number of years the World Health Organisation gave an advisory figure of some 100 milligrammes per litre? I believe that it has readdressed that figure. It was brought down to 50 milligrammes per litre in the late 1980s. Is my noble friend convinced that regulating for 50 milligrammes per litre as a maximum figure conforms with the best scientific advice?

Lord Lucas
My Lords, there is no perfection in these figures. They are based on scientific advice and scientific evidence, and, allowing for possible medical effects of high nitrate levels, a certain level of safety. We believe that 50 milligrammes is a reasonable figure. We also believe that it is a figure with which we shall have to live.

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that I was pleased to hear the happy manner in which he threw away £3 million a year? However, if someone in a low nitrate area has to build a storage facility costing £100,000, the share of that figure may be considerable and rather unfair. If a farmer is forced to build storage facilities in order to preserve the water, there is an obligation at least to help in building such storage facilities.
Will the Minister ensure that his department will not act as it has in the past and exaggerate any directive from Brussels to fulfil its own particular prejudices?

Lord Lucas
My Lords, perhaps I may begin by addressing the last point and comfort the noble Lord. We have designated a quite small proportion of the land surface of England and Wales as nitrate vulnerable zones compared with some countries in Europe which have designated their entire territories as nitrate vulnerable zones. We have done our best not only in that regard but in other aspects to make sure that the way in which we implement this regulation is reasonable and right.
As regards help with the costs of waste storage facilities, I expect a grant scheme available from the Ministry of Agriculture to be announced shortly after the regulations are promulgated.

The Earl of Bradford
My Lords, does my noble friend accept the recent research findings from Aberdeen University, partly funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, which indicate that nitrates in diet and in 1276 drinking water are essential, beneficial and in no way injurious to health when they are at natural levels or at levels considerably higher?

Lord Lucas
My Lords, some years ago there was a scare that nitrates caused cancer. I think that we are quite clear that that is not true. We know of no particular reason why nitrates at ordinary levels should cause anyone any problems. At high levels they cause a blue baby syndrome, and considerable problems of eutrophication in rivers and coastal waters especially in continental countries. Those are the basic reasons that we are happy to pursue this directive.

§ Lord Williams of Elvel
My Lords, we are grateful to the noble Lord for telling us that the number of zones about to be designated—we do not know when—is relatively small. Does he accept that hill farmers in places such as mid Wales are more disadvantaged than others? Does he also accept that it takes about three years for a farmer to plan his business in such a way as to accommodate the regulations? Therefore, can we have the assurance that the Government will produce the regulations well before the end of 1996?

Lord Lucas
Yes, my Lords, we hope to have the regulations in good time. As regards Wales, I cannot give the noble Lord any comfort that there will not he a large number of zones generally. We have tried to exclude as much of the land surface as possible. That means that there will be a number of isolated patches around the country. So far as I know, only two are in Wales and neither is in what would be regarded as hill country. Hill country generally will not suffer from over-stocking by cattle and sheep in the way that the lowland country can, which causes the problem from excess manure per hectare. That is the way in which the problem is defined. I do not believe that problems will arise in Wales as they will, for example, in Norfolk.