HC Deb 11 March 1993 vol 220 cc686-7W
Mr. Tyler

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to how many farmers he intends to distribute the area aid application form in England and Wales; and when he expects to distribute them.

Mr. Curry

The area aid application form, together with an explanatory booklet, will be distributed to some 240,000 farmers in England and Wales. I expect it to be distributed in early April.

Mr. Tyler

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how he proposes to treat area aid application forms which are returned incomplete by reason of the inadequacy of Ordnance Survey map data for the farms in question.

Mr. Curry

The rules require farmers to lodge their area aid application forms by 15 May if they are to avoid financial penalty. If, exceptionally, they are genuinely unable to obtain all the mapping data, they will have a little longer provided that the application form including areas and locations of fields is received by 15 May.

Mr. Tyler

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek an extension of the EC's deadline of 15 May for farmers to return the area aid application form.

Mr. Curry

I have no plans to seek such an extension.

Mr. Tyler

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the effect of submitting an incorrect or incomplete area aid application form, before 15 May, on eligibility for area payments of the individuals concerned.

Mr. Curry

There will be an opportunity to correct or complete area aid applications before 15 May.

Mr. Tyler

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with the Ordnance Survey on the agency's ability to provide all the map data required by farmers in all parts of the country to complete the area aid application form by 15 May.

Mr. Curry

Officials have had a number of discussions with the Ordnance Survey, both before the mapping requirements were announced in September 1992, and subsequently in relation to the area aid application form.

Mr. Tyler

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what special arrangements he is making within his Department to respond to farmers' inquiries to assist them in completing the area aid application form by 15 May.

Mr. Curry

The responsibility for completing the area aid application form rests with individual farmers. The services of the nine regional service centres will, of course, be available to farmers and officials will offer what help they can.