§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement on the 175W terms of special temporary measures for hop growers and (a) identify the reference date from which areas should not increase and (b) specify if that date refers to areas planted or areas harvested; [116136]
(2) for what reason some hop growers received lower payments under special temporary measures for 1999 than those for which they applied. [116137]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 27 March 2000]: The aim of the special temporary measures for hops is to allow producer groups and individual growers to adjust their production to market requirements during the period 1998–2002 by receiving aid on areas temporarily rested or permanently grubbed-up, provided certain requirements are met.
Under current arrangements, the reference date from which the total area should not increase is the area harvested in 1997. Payments to hop growers were made on this basis by the Intervention Board Executive Agency, which administers the scheme in the UK. In some cases, payments were reduced because growers did not comply with these arrangements. The arrangements have been questioned by some hop growers and we are presently reviewing the matter.