HC Deb 06 March 1996 vol 273 cc236-7W
Mr. Martyn Jones

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what hectarage is given up to(a) set-aside land and (b) each of the 10 highest land area covering crops; and how many kilometres length of river bank runs along set-aside land in (i) the UK, (ii) each other member state of the EU and (iii) the EU in total. [18621]

Mr. Baldry

The latest figures for the area of land set-aside in the EU as of 15 January 1995 are set out in the table.

The latest complete details of the 10 highest land area covering crops are given in section 3.5.2.2. of "The Agricultural Situation in the EU 1994", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

The information about the length of river bank that runs along set-aside land in the other member states and the EU in total is not available. In the UK, this information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Land set-aside as of 15 January 1995
Country Rotational set-aside (HA) Non-rotational set-aside (HA)
UK 337,281 266,579
Belgium 14,126 7,860
Denmark 46,503 200,682
France 748,937 977,590
Germany 469,482 855,228
Greece 9,677 8,456
Ireland 19,053 13,107
Italy 182,650 65,042
Luxembourg 1,641 456
Netherlands 9,406 2,441
Portugal n/a n/a
Spain 418,767 1.007,202
Austria 57,902 65,268
Finland 153,000 59,000
Sweden 82,855 246,328
EU 15 2.551,280 3.775,239