HC Deb 11 December 1990 vol 182 c384W
Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the present levels of environmentally sensitive area payments; if he has any plans to revise them; and if he will also express them at 1986 prices.

Mr. Curry

The present level of ESA payments is shown in the table.

ESA £/HA
Broads Tier 1 125
Tier 2 200
Breckland Tier 1 100
Tier 2 125
Tier 3:
UWS 300
CH 100
North Peak Tier 1 10
Tier 2 20
Pennine Dales 100
Shropshire Borders Tier 1 30
Tier 2 80
Somerset Levels and Moors Tier 1 82
Tier 2 120
South Downs Tier 1 35
Tier 2 160
Suffolk River Valleys Tier 1 70
Tier 2 180
Tier 3 200
Test Valley 80
West Penwith 60

It was made clear at the outset that it would not be appropriate for these payments to be index-linked, but that they would be reviewed after three years. The review carried out last year for those ESAs designated in 1987 concluded that the payments were still at broadly the right levels. I am now reviewing payments in ESAs designated in 1988, and I will be conducting a full-scale review of the scheme next year to determine the way forward.