Hedgerows (Hansard, 25 March 1998)

§ Mr. Levitt
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans he has for amendments to the Hedgerow Regulations 1997 in relation to matters not covered by the recent consultation; [36054]
(2) when he will publish the results of the consultation on the Review of Hedgerow Regulations 1997; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of hedges in rural areas which will be exempt from the regulations. [36053]

§ Angela Eagle
We expect shortly to receive the report by the group set up to review the Hedgerows Regulations 1997. The Regulations protect important countryside hedgerows from removal through a process of prior notification to the local planning authority. No estimate of the scale of exemptions from the requirement for prior notification under Regulation 6(1) has been made.
It is estimated, on the basis of a limited survey carried out by ADAS as part of their hedgerow evaluation system research, that some 20 per cent. of all hedgerows would meet the current statutory criteria defining importance. One of the main tasks of the review group was to look at improving the criteria.
Following consideration of the group's recommendations, the Government will announce any revisions they propose to make to the Regulations. Any such proposals would be subject to statutory consultation.

§ Mr. Levitt
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effect on hedgerows of the MAFF proposals to give retirement grants to farmers whose land goes to a larger holding or to forestry. [36056]

§ Angela Eagle
On 18 March 1998, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food invited views on whether the Early Retirement Scheme, as provided under Regulation No. 2079/92, should be applied in the United Kingdom.
No specific assessment has been made of the effect of the scheme, if introduced, on hedgerows. However, if the land were to go to a larger agricultural holding or to forestry, the requirements of the Hedgerow Regulations 1997 would apply.