§ 14. Mr. MansTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to ensure that the rules contained within the set-aside scheme will protect the local environment.
§ Mr. RyderIn framing the rules of the scheme, my right hon. Friends and I took full account of the need to ensure that set-aside took full account of the environment. The detailed rules for the management of fallow land are outlined in the scheme documents, which also give advice on how set-aside can be used to maintain and improve environmental features such as hedgerows, shelterbelts and bridleways.
§ 23. Mr. StevensTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the latest figures on registration for the set-aside scheme.
§ Mr. MacGregorAbout 2,000 farmers in the United Kingdom have applied for set-aside, representing about 150,000 acres of land to be taken out of arable production in this crop year. About 24,000 further farmers have registered their arable land so that they are in a position to apply for set-aside in the future without needing independent evidence of their 1987–88 cropping pattern.
§ 59. Mr. David DavisTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to make the set-aside scheme compulsory.
§ 55. Mr. LathamTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the progress of the set-aside scheme.
§ 61. Mr. CoxTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the take-up so far of his Department's set-aside policy; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacGregorI refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Member to the answer that I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Stevens).