§ Mr. Liddell-GraingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what help is given to the Exmoor area to secure the highest possible payments in respect of EU funding for farmers. [161881]
§ Alun MichaelEU co-financed funds are available under the England Rural Development Programme across England, including the Exmoor area. Schemes under this programme help farmers and foresters to become more competitive, diverse, flexible and environmentally responsible as well as providing help to rural communities to adapt and develop. Exmoor is a designated Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) and the Exmoor area was paid a total of £5.4 million under this scheme in 2003, a significant proportion of which was co-financed by the EU.