Nitrates (Hansard, 30 January 2002)

§ Mr. Breed
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the regions considered at risk from nitrogen pollution of water supplies. [31517]

§ Mr. Meacher
All regions of England are potentially at risk from agricultural nitrogen pollution of water supplies. Under the nitrates directive (91/676/EEC) 66 nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZs) were originally designated in 1996 for the protection of current drinking water supplies in England from agricultural nitrate pollution. Following a European Court of Justice judgment in 2000, we now need to designate NVZs for the protection of all waters in England. These include surface and groundwaters which could be used as water supplies in the future. The minimum designations are now required to complete implementation of the directive, and on which we are currently consulting, include proposed NVZ areas in every region of England.

§ Mr. Breed
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of the options proposed in the consultation document "Implementing the Nitrates 349W Directive" on agriculture by region; and if she will make a statement. [31518]

§ Mr. Meacher
A regulatory impact assessment of the proposals is included at Annexe E of the consultation document. This includes a compliance cost assessment

Option 1 (100 per cent, designation): Summary of total compliance costs

Sector and measure Proportion of farms affected (%) Estimated number of farms affected Total annual cost¹(£) Average annual cost perform affected (£)

Dairy sector

Storage 8 1,810 5,030,000 ²—

Transport 10 2,210 1,070,000 ²—

Beef sector

Storage 2 800 290,000 ²—

Transport 0 0 0 0

Sheep sector 0 0 0 0

Pig sector

Storage 5 444 1,140,000 ²—

Transport 100 8,330 3,390,000 ²—

Poultry sector

Storage 0 ³n/a 0 0

Transport 100 ³n/a 1,410,000 ²—

Record keeping (all sectors) 100 141,000 24,000,000 200

Total 36,320,000

¹Numbers have been rounded to the nearest £10,000.

²We have not presented the mean average cost here. This would not accurately represent the average cost for a 'typical' farmer in this sector. The vast majority of farms are likely to incur relatively low costs, depending on factors such as the extent of on-farm manure spreading capacity and existing slurry storage facilities. A minority of farms will incur higher costs.

³It is not possible to provide a realistic figure for the number of commercial poultry farms affected from current agricultural census information. Calculations are based on an average-sized commercial poultry unit of 50,000 birds.

Option 2 (80 per cent, designation): Summary of total compliance costs

Sector and measure Proportion of farms affected (%) Estimated number of farms affected Total annual cost¹(£) Average annual cost perform affected (£)

Dairy sector

Storage 9 1,265 3,660,000 ²—

Transport 10 1,430 720,000 ²—

Beef sector

Storage 3 540 180,000 ²—

Transport 0 0 0 0

Sheep sector 0 0 0 0

Pig sector

Storage 6 354 1,040,000 ²—

Transport 100 6,140 2,860,000 ²—

Poultry sector

Storage 0 ³n/a 0 0

Transport 100 ³n/a 1,210,000 ²—

Record keeping (all sectors) 100 100,000 17,010,000 200

Total 26,670,000

¹Numbers have been rounded to the nearest £10,000.

²We have not presented the mean average cost here. This would not accurately represent the average cost for a 'typical' farmer in this sector. The vast majority of farms are likely to incur relatively low costs, depending on factors such as the extent of on-farm manure spreading capacity and existing slurry storage facilities. A minority of farms will incur higher costs.

³It is impossible to provide a realistic figure for the number of commercial poultry farms affected from current agricultural census information. Calculations are based on an average-sized commercial poultry unit of 50,000 birds.

350W
broken down by agricultural sectors and by the different measures required. However, the assessment was made for England as a whole and there is no regional breakdown available. The tables included in Annexe E of the consultation document are reproduced.
351W

Option 1 (100 per cent, designation): Summary of total compliance costs
Sector and measure	Proportion of farms affected (%)	Estimated number of farms affected	Total annual cost¹(£)	Average annual cost perform affected (£)
Dairy sector
Storage	8	1,810	5,030,000	²—
Transport	10	2,210	1,070,000	²—
Beef sector
Storage	2	800	290,000	²—
Transport	0	0	0	0
Sheep sector	0	0	0	0
Pig sector
Storage	5	444	1,140,000	²—
Transport	100	8,330	3,390,000	²—
Poultry sector
Storage	0	³n/a	0	0
Transport	100	³n/a	1,410,000	²—
Record keeping (all sectors)	100	141,000	24,000,000	200
Total			36,320,000
¹Numbers have been rounded to the nearest £10,000.
²We have not presented the mean average cost here. This would not accurately represent the average cost for a 'typical' farmer in this sector. The vast majority of farms are likely to incur relatively low costs, depending on factors such as the extent of on-farm manure spreading capacity and existing slurry storage facilities. A minority of farms will incur higher costs.
³It is not possible to provide a realistic figure for the number of commercial poultry farms affected from current agricultural census information. Calculations are based on an average-sized commercial poultry unit of 50,000 birds.

Option 2 (80 per cent, designation): Summary of total compliance costs
Sector and measure	Proportion of farms affected (%)	Estimated number of farms affected	Total annual cost¹(£)	Average annual cost perform affected (£)
Dairy sector
Storage	9	1,265	3,660,000	²—
Transport	10	1,430	720,000	²—
Beef sector
Storage	3	540	180,000	²—
Transport	0	0	0	0
Sheep sector	0	0	0	0
Pig sector
Storage	6	354	1,040,000	²—
Transport	100	6,140	2,860,000	²—
Poultry sector
Storage	0	³n/a	0	0
Transport	100	³n/a	1,210,000	²—
Record keeping (all sectors)	100	100,000	17,010,000	200
Total			26,670,000
¹Numbers have been rounded to the nearest £10,000.
²We have not presented the mean average cost here. This would not accurately represent the average cost for a 'typical' farmer in this sector. The vast majority of farms are likely to incur relatively low costs, depending on factors such as the extent of on-farm manure spreading capacity and existing slurry storage facilities. A minority of farms will incur higher costs.
³It is impossible to provide a realistic figure for the number of commercial poultry farms affected from current agricultural census information. Calculations are based on an average-sized commercial poultry unit of 50,000 birds.