§ Mr. Hicksasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what modifications have been made in the five-year undertakings for eligibility for the hill livestock compensatory allowances following consultations between his Department and the EEC Commission.
§ Mr. BishopThe requirement in the EEC Directive that, to be eligible for hill livestock compensatory allowances, an applicant must continue to farm eligible land for at least five years remains unaltered.
However, following consultation with the EEC Commission, it has been agreed that, where a farmer discontinues farming before the end of the five-year period in circumstances where there is no provision for the undertaking to be set aside, he will not be required to repay any compensatory allowances received if the eligible land continues to be farmed to the end of the five-year period.