Mr. WilletsTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further steps she is taking to encourage the positive management of set-aside to benefit the countryside environment.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardI support the positive environmental management of set-aside. I have today placed in the Library of the House a handbook entitled "Managing Set-Aside Land for Wildlife". This publication is the result of work commissioned by my Department from the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology to investigate the possibilities of using set-aside land to create or restore wildlife habitats. We have drawn on many of its conclusions in setting the management conditions for set-aside under the arable area payments scheme, and I hope that farmers and conservation advisers will find it equally helpful.