§ Mr. VazTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to assess the report of the Council for the Protection of Rural England concerning the disappearance of meadow and grasslands. [77667]
§ Mr. MorleyAs a recent CPRE publication explains, meadow and grasslands may be lost for a number of reasons. MAFF officials are working closely with the statutory environmental agencies to develop workable218W proposals for the implementation of particular provisions of the EU Directive on environmental impact assessment (EIA). Those provisions apply to all types of uncultivated land or semi-natural areas, but only where projects to bring such land into intensive agricultural use give rise to significant environmental effects.
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to introduce protection for meadowland. [77529]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 18 March 1999]: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is working closely with the statutory environmental agencies to develop workable proposals. The objective is to improve protection of the environment without imposing over-bureaucratic controls on farmers.