Dr. ThomasTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will obtain for his departmental library a copy of the book, "Nitrates: The Threat to Food and Water", by Nigel Dudley, published by Green Print.
§ Mr. John GreenwayTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the pilot nitrate scheme.
§ Mr. GummerFollowing extensive consultations on the pilot nitrate scheme, I have decided, subject to Commission clearance under article 93,3 of the treaty of Rome, to confirm that 10 areas should be designated as nitrate sensitive areas (NSAs), and that intensive advisory campaigns should be conducted in a further nine areas.
This important new pilot scheme is aimed at tackling the problem, experienced throughout Europe and elsewhere, of unacceptable levels of nitrate leaching from farmland into water sources. It will provide valuable insights into a problem which is not scientifically fully understood, and point the way for future policy. I hope the scheme will be a major success and that it will receive the high level of support which it deserves.
As indicated in earlier announcements, payments will be made to those farmers in nitrate sensitive areas who voluntarily undertake to observe restrictions on their agricultural practices. I hope that as many farmers as possible will enter our basic scheme under which payments will be made for restrictions on all their NSA land which, while substantial, will enable them broadly to maintain current farming patterns. These payments will vary depending on the nitrate sensitive area in line with overall differences in the costs of compliance between different areas.
Farmers who participate in the basic scheme will in addition be able to enter the premium scheme, by converting some or all of their arable land to various forms of grassland. Payments will vary depending on the nitrate sensitive area (since overall assessments of the costs of compliance differ), the option chosen, and the proportion of a farmer's land affected, (since the latter affects the fixed cost savings). The premium scheme requirements will help to protect the environment generally and promote conservation.
The areas, basic rates of payment, and premium rates for conversion of arable to unfertilised ungrazed grassland are as follows, (£/ha):
547W
Nitrate sensitive areas (NSAs) Basic Premium [percentage of total holding] 0–25 25–75 75–100 1. Sleaford (Lincolnshire) 85 380 290 200 2. Branston Booths (Lincolnshire) 95 380 290 200 3. Ogbourne St. George (Wiltshire) 55 380 290 200 4. Old Chalford (Oxfordshire) 55 330 265 200 5. Egford (Somerset) 55 380 290 200 6. Boughton (Nottinghamshire) 75 280 240 200 7. Wildmoor (Hereford and Worcestershire) 70 280 240 200 8. Wellings (Staffordshire and Shropshire) 65 280 240 200 9. Tom Hill (Staffordshire) 70 280 240 200 10. Kilham (Humberside) 55 330 265 200 Premium rates (which are paid in addition to basic rates) will be adjusted, in relation to those shown above, as follows:
£ For unfertilised grazed grass 30/ha less For grass with up to 150 kg N/ha 110/ha less For grass and woodland 100/ha less Though for the latter, payments under the farm woodland scheme should also apply.
Intensive pig and poultry farmers will receive individually assessed payments towards the cost of additional storage (pig farmers only) and/or transport requirements calculated against number of livestock.
The advisory areas will be as follows:
- 1. The Swells (Gloucestershire)
- 2. Bircham and Fring (Norfolk)
- 3. Hillington, Gayton and Congham (Norfolk)
- 4. Sedgeford (Norfolk)
- 5. Fowlmere (Cambridgeshire)
- 6. Far Baulker (Nottinghamshire)
- 7. Dotton and Colaton (Devon)
- 8. Cringle Brook (Lincolnshire and Leicestershire)
- 9. Bourne Brook (Warwickshire)
All farms in the advisory areas will be visited by an ADAS officer and encouraged voluntarily to follow practices designed to reduce the risk of nitrate leaching at little or no cost to themselves or even a small benefit.
Committee Councils NRA Ministers Total Cornwall 13 1 12 26 Cumbria 7 1 6 14 Devon 10 1 8 19 Eastern 10 1 9 20 Isles of Scilly 4 0 4 8 Kent and Essex 10 1 7 18 North Eastern 18 1 15 34 Northumberland 10 1 9 20 North Western and North Wales 18 1 16 35 Southern 10 1 8 19 Sussex 10 1 9 20 South Wales 10 1 9 20 The Sea Fisheries Regulation Act 1966 requires that those persons appointed by Ministers must be acquainted with the needs and opinions of the fishing interests of the district. Persons are not appointed, however, on the basis of their representing particular organisations. At the present time there are no vacancies amongst the Ministers' appointees.
548WFull details of the measures and payment rates have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The Secretary of State for the Environment and I shall be laying before the House in due course a statutory instrument designating the NSAs and setting out the measures and payment rates under the basic and premium schemes. Our intention is for the order to come into effect by 1 June.