HL Deb 28 March 1996 vol 570 cc155-6WA
Baroness Gardner of Parkes

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will provide details of the agricultural projects which have been approved in the South West Objective 5(b) Area.

Lord Lucas

The European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) provides assistance to agriculture and food industries in the South West Objective 5(b) Area. This area takes in Cornwall, the

EAGGF projects processed in the south west objective 5B area
Project Title 5(b) Areas to Benefit Expenditure £ EAGGF Grant MAFF Grant
1. Island Produce—Establishment of a Potato Group Isles of Scilly 38,000 9,500 9,500
2. Isles of Scilly Horticultural Development Initiative Isles of Scilly 202,900 63,450 5,845
3. Horticulture 2000 (including horticultural facilitator) 5(b) Area as a whole
Phase I 540,000 200,000 100,000
Phase II 1,196,000 371,000 251,000
4. Festival of West County Food and Drink 5(b) Area as a whole 34,700 8,700 500
5. Inchs Cider Apple Orchard Group Devon 927,000 231,750 231,750
6. Cheese Farm Market Development Cornwall 6,000 1,500 1,500
7. Plant Biomass—Phase 1 5(b) Area as a whole 972,100 284,330 254,900
8. Quality Cheese Production Devon & Cornwall 593,000 130,000 130,000
9. Plant Production and Sales Centre Cornwall 108,400 21,680 21,680
10. Exmoor Oak and Timber Products Devon & West Somerset 722,500 145,178 145,178
11. SW Pig Production Development 5(b) Area as a whole 12,000 3,000 3,000
12. 5b Facilitator-Mr. G. N. Parker (Bio-mass, Industrial Crops, Diversification and Speciality Foods) 5(b) Area as a whole 135,022 67,511 67,511
13. 5b Facilitator—Mr. N. J. Wendover (Livestock, Cereals and The Environment) 5(b) Area as a whole 153,916 76,958 76,958
14. 5b Facilitator—Mr. & Mr. J. M. Woodcraft (Farm Tourism) 5(b) Area as a whole 82,530 41,265 41,265
15. Wheal Sara Flowers Cornwall 43,200 7,560 7,560
16. Western Quality Pigs 5(b) Area as a whole 750,000 183,000 173,000
17. West Cornwall Vegetable Packing Cornwall 240,000 45,367 45,367
18. Kingsbridge Estuary Conservation Project Devon 60,000 25,250 2,750
19. West Country Tourist Board Farm Tourism Project 5(b) Area as a whole 3,854,500 819,081 819,081
20. River Tamar 2000 Conservation Project—Phase I Devon & Cornwall 989,200 304,650 224,650
21. Brimpts Barn—Re-use of farm buildings for training purposes Devon 176,600 29,775 29,775
22. Improvement/Development of Winter Cauliflowers Cornwall 234,302 74,813 74,814
23. North Cornwall Poultry Group—Feasibility Study Devon & Cornwall 9,346 2,336 2,337
24. Bodmin Moor Commoners Cornwall 25,282 11,016 10,016
25. Ostrich Farms International 5(b) Area as a whole 1,238,653 150,092 150,093
Total 13,345,151 3,308,762 2,880,030

Isles of Scilly, parts of Devon and parts of West Somerset.

Under the programme MAFF is able to provide support which in turn draws in EAGGF from Europe. Assistance is generally available in support of farm tourism, agricultural and horticultural development and diversification, protection and enhancement of the environment and the generation of energy from alternative sources by the agriculture industry. In addition there is a special package for the Isles of Scilly.

The first EAGGF projects under this programme were approved in March 1995. In the 12 months which have followed since then, a total of 25 projects have been approved and these will lead to the eventual investment of more than £13 million in the objective 5(b) Area. The projects approved vary from small schemes, such as that to develop a market for farm cheese, to a multi-million pound project to promote farm tourism in the whole area. Geographically they span the objective 5(b) area from horticultural enterprises in the Isles of Scilly to timber products on Exmoor and there is no part of the region which will not benefit. I am very pleased with the interest shown and hope that many more projects will be approved in the future.

Full details of the approved projects are as follows: