§ Mr. CummingsTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many hectares have been bought under the woodland scheme in the ALURE package(a) in the county of Durham and (b) in Easington district.
§ Mr. GummerNone. The farm woodland scheme will not come into operation until later this year following the passage of the necessary legislation.
§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the objectives of the set-aside scheme; and if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on the scheme.
§ Mr. MacGregor[holding answer 15 February 1988]: The principal aim of the Community set-aside scheme is to reduce surplus production of crops and so reduce budget costs. The Government have pressed for set-aside to be adopted as a complement to stabilisers, not a substitute for them. We also envisage that the scheme can fulfil desirable objectives for the environment. Under the agreement reported to the House yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, the scheme can now go ahead on a basis that meets these objectives. I and my agriculture colleagues will proceed as quickly as possible to settle details of the arrangements to be applied in the United Kingdom, taking full account of the many responses we have received to our consultation document.