§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will indicate, in respect of each component item of the farm aid package announced on 30 March 2000,(a) if it has been accounted for as DEL or AME expenditure and (b) what proportion has been paid to (i) farmers and (ii) other intended recipients to date. [144398]
§ Mr. Nick Brown[holding answer 8 January 2001]: The Action Plan for Farming, launched at the Farming Summit on 30 March was supported by £203.5 million. The components of this, how they have been accounted for, and the proportion paid to farmers and other intended recipients to date are as listed.
139W140W141W
Action plan for farming Measure Value Accounted for as DEL or AME Proportion paid to farmers/other intended recipients to date Increase support for hill farmers beyond the level specified in the Rural Development Plans submitted to the Commission. (UK wide) £60 million (in 2000–01) DEL — Seek from the Commission an increase in the maximum weight per animal on which compensation is payable under the over-30-months scheme. (UK wide) £20 million (estimate) (in 2000–01)1 DEL 49 per cent. (£12.3 million estimated expenditure) Remove charges for dairy hygiene inspections in England as soon as the necessary legislation can be put in place £1 million (in 2000–01) DEL Value represents an estimated annual saving to industry Hold the increase in meat inspection charges for 2000–01 to the rate of inflation. (GB wide) £4.5 million (in 2000–01) DEL Value represents an estimated annual saving to industry Increase the rate of grant under MAFF's Farm Waste Grant Scheme from 25 per cent. of eligible expenditure (under which uptake has been low) to 40 per cent. (England only) £3.5 million (in 2001–02) DEL — The Government will double the Regional Development Agencies' Redundant Building Grant Programmes, which operates in Rural Priority Areas, to £8 million in 2000–01. (England only) £4 million (in 2000–01) DEL 0.7 per cent. (£28K) (Quarter 1 figures) The Government will allocate £2.3 million to create in England a European Centre for organic fruit and nursery stock. £2.261 million (over two years: £0.3 million in 2000–01 and £1.961 in 2001–02) DEL 12 per cent. (£273K) A single charge for authorisation to dispose of used sheep dip, equivalent to the current application charge of £85, should cover the full four-year period of the initial authorisation. This means that the current annual charge of £107 will not be payable during the first four-year period. (England and Wales) £4.7 million over four years2 DEL 56 per cent. (£2.65 million)— (estimated cash benefit in 2000–01) Business Restructuring in England: The Government will pump-prime the drive to improve the competitiveness of farmers by providing funding for business improvement, on a challenge basis, following the model of the Agriculture Development Scheme 1999 £1 million (in 2000–01) DEL 45 per cent. (£450K) The Government will provide funding of £1.2 million to Lantra (National Training Organisation for the Landbased Sector) to promote the economic benefits of training and to analyse the training needs of farm business £1.2 million (in 2000–01)3 DEL 52 per cent. (£935K) The Government will help farmers develop better business practices through tailored business advice. As farmers increasingly diversify their businesses, they will be able to draw on the wider expertise and services of the Small Business Service £6.5 million (in 2000–01)4 DEL 10 per cent. (£851K) The Government will continue to support the Rural Stress Information Network by extending for at least a further year the secondment of a MAFF official to that organisation. MAFF will also increase the provision of free advice to those farmers referred to it by certain organisations. The Government will increase its support to voluntary bodies dealing with rural stress on the basis of an action plan drawn up with them. The final payments, 25 per cent. (£125K), are due to be made by 1 March 2001. £0.5 million (in 2000–01) DEL 75 per cent. (350K) Launch an electronic portal for farming £0.4 million (in 2000–01) DEL 40 per cent. (160K)
Action plan for farming Measure Value Accounted for as DEL or AME Proportion paid to farmers/other intended recipients to date Business restructuring aid for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland £2 million (in 2000–01) DEL DARD—NAWAD— SERAD 100 per cent. (£1.046 million)5 Total 203.5 — — 1 Revised estimate now £25 million 2 Estimated saving to industry 3 Allocation now £1.8 million—includes element of hill support funding 4 Allocation now £8.5 million—includes element of hill support funding 5 In the course of 2000–01 the Scottish Executive has incurred additional costs of some £4 million towards advancing its electronic data transfer and service delivery systems, both of which offer significant improvements to farm business management in Scotland. The cost of these measures is greatly in excess of the £1.046 million provided for under the Action Plan for Farming