HC Deb 14 February 1994 vol 237 cc585-6W
Mr. Tyler

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which EU member states have implemented a farmers' early retirement scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Jack

Under Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2079/92 the farmers' early retirement scheme is optional for all member states. The following countries have implemented the scheme: France, Ireland and Belgium.

The United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Luxembourg, Spain and the Netherlands have to date not implemented the EC early retirement scheme. The scheme is not suited to the structure of farming in the United Kingdom and if implemented the cost required to come from national resources could be provided only by reducing expenditure on existing United Kingdom programmes.