§ Rev. Ian Paisleyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the procedures to be adopted by farmers who want to appeal to the Commission of the European Communities against the exclusion of the area in which they live from the less favoured areas.
§ Mr. JoplingThere is no provision for farmers to appeal direct to the Commission of the European Community. Directive 75/268/EEC provides that member states shall communicate to the Commission their proposals for designating areas as less favoured. It is my intention to introduce arrangements for farmers to make representations against exclusion from any additional less favoured areas that may be designated. This will, however, have to await the outcome of the consideration in Brussels of our case for increasing our less favoured areas, which carries with it no committment to providing any new aid.