§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what assessment he has made of the success of the current prescriptions of the Tir Cymen and ESA schemes; [2937]
(2) if he will make it his policy to modify the prescriptions of Tir Cymen/ESAs to enhance the development of farmland bird communities; [2936]
(3) what forecasts he has made about the impact of the Tir Cymen and ESA schemes on farmland bird communities in Wales. [2938]
§ Mr. HagueTir Cymen and ESA prescriptions are subject to a five-year evaluation monitoring exercise and five year policy review respectively. Some modifications and enhancements have been, and will continue to be made, during Tir Cymen's experimental period; and modifications of ESA prescriptions will be considered in the light of the policy review. Although neither scheme is specifically targeted at enhancing the population of farmland birds, the nature of both will help to ensure a positive impact on their populations in Wales.