§ Mr. CormackTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in agreeing the rules for set-aside for 1994; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardAt yesterday's Council of Agriculture Ministers, I stressed the importance for both agriculture and the environment of reaching early agreement on the future for those farmers coming out of five-year set-aside this year. They need to know whether they will be able to put more than 18 per cent. of their land into set-aside under the new arable area payments scheme.
In reply the Agriculture Commissioner indicated that he intended to propose to the Commission that compensation should be paid for voluntary set-aside which exceeded 18 per cent. He also intended to propose arrangements for the transfer of set-aside obligation. A combination of these two measures could offer a solution.
I had hoped that a suitable proposal would have been available for discussion at the Council. The Commissioner acknowledged the deadline, agreed by Ministers at the May Council, of 31 July. I shall urge them to meet this and, subsequently, press for an early agreement by the Council.
However, more progress has been made on some of the other detailed set-aside rules that will apply next year. The cereals management committee voted on these at the end of last week. We expect the regulations to be adopted formally by the Commission in time to come into force on 1 September.
The key points are as follows. The rotational set-aside period will be from 15 January to 31 August. However, from 15 July, subject to any national rules, producers may sow crops for harvest the next year.
For both rotational and non-rotational set-aside, during the period 1 September to 14 January, producers must not sell any green cover remaining on the land whether for grazing or for hay or silage. However, they may harvest hay or silage for their own use during this period or graze their own animals on the land.
Land entered into non-rotational set-aside must remain set-aside from 15 January for at least five years. The set-aside rules apply throughout this period though limited use of the green cover is allowed between 1 September and 14 January. Penalties will be applied if the land does not remain in set-aside for five years, except that, exceptionally, farmers may take land out of non-rotational set-aside without penalty at the end of 1993–94; and they may take land out of set-aside without penalty to join forestry or agri-environment schemes; and the obligation to keep the land in non-rotational set-aside will not apply if the land changes hands. Short rotation coppice may be grown on set-aside land. However, it will not be eligible for establishment grants under the woodland grant scheme.
The rules as they stand do not permit arable land entered into the farm woodland premium scheme or land withdrawn from production under the agri-environment programme to count as set-aside under the arable support arrangements. I shall be urging the Council of Ministers to allow this.
Copies of a free leaflet giving more details of these changes will be deposited in the Library of the House.
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