§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make it her policy to promote the use of long-term set-aside for peat soil adjacent to raised bog habitats.
§ Mr. JackWe have recently completed consultations on the introduction in England of a habitat scheme which will offer incentives to take selected agricultural land out of production for 20 years. There was general support for the priorities identified for this scheme, but land adjacent to raised bog habitats was not one of them. As a result, we do not plan to include such land in the pilot phase of the scheme.
§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans she has to produce a manual for professional horticulturalists identifying the available peat-free products and giving advice on their use in horticulture.
§ Mr. JackAdvice on the range and use of commercial products is a matter for the suppliers themselves. The Horticultural Development Council is, however, undertaking research on peat alternatives and plan a seminar on this subject on 1 December. Currently I am not planning to publish a manual on this matter.