§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid in(a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 to farmers in matching funds to charitable payments. [72487]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 23 July 2002]: Under the Charity Matched Funding Scheme, the Government matches charitable donations from the public pound for pound from Government funds. The Government paid over £17,000,000 to charities to alleviate rural hardship resulting from the foot and mouth disease outbreak in match funding in 2001–02. Match Funding was not made available in 2000–01.