§ Mr. WallaceTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken and what further measures he proposes to promote organic farming in Scotland.
§ Sir Hector Monro[holding answer 26 October 1992]: Through Food from Britain, the Government set up and now fund the United Kingdom register of organic food standards to determine national standards, codes of practice and provide credibility to certification procedures. The Government also fund a wide range of research relating to organic farming, from strategic research into production methods through to wider issues such as the environmental impact of organic farming systems.
In addition, Scottish farmers of organic produce can benefit under a number of schemes open to farmers generally. These include the farm and conservation grant scheme; set-aside arrangements and the group marketing grant scheme. The need for any further measures will be considered in the context of the implementation of the European Community agriculture and environment regulations.