§ Mr. Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what facilities are available for research into United Kingdom viticulture problems.
§ Mr. StrangLimited facilities exist at my Department's Experimental Horticulture Station, Efford. I understand that there are facilities at the University of London's Wye College. The services of the Ministry's Agricultural Development and Advisory Service are also available to give advice on these problems.
§ Mr. Costainasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what grants under the provisions of farm capital grants schemes are available to the United Kingdom viticulture industry for posts, wires, rabbit netting, bird netting, spraying equipment, fertilisers, fungicides, her- 700W bicides, presses, mills, filters, packaging equipment, bottling equipment, process equipment and buildings; and what are the availabilities of grants in other member countries of the EEC.
§ Mr. StrangGrant is available at 25 per cent. for the provision, replacement or improvement of stakes and wirework for vineyards under the farm and horticulture development scheme. Buildings and spraying equipment can be grant-aided at a variety of rates, depending on circumstances, under the farm and horticulture development scheme, the farm capital grant scheme or the horticulture capital grant scheme.
Rabit-proof fencing can be grant-aided under all schemes. Rabbit netting, bird netting, fertilisers, fungicides and herbicides are not eligible for grant because they are not regarded as being a capital nature. Plant and equipment for the preparation of wine from grapes is not grant aided because the process is not regarded as agricultural and, therefore, falls outside the scope of the legislation.
Information on aids to viticulture in other member States is not readily available. However, aids in these countries and in the United Kingdom must conform to the requirements of Articles 92–94 of the Treaty of Rome, the Farm Modernisation Directive, and the restrictions imposed by the Community's Regulation on the Common Organisation of the Market in Wine (EEC/816/70).
§ Mr. Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many grants under the farm and horticultural development scheme have been made to United Kingdom viticulture enterprises.
§ Mr. StrangTo date, four grants have been paid to viticulture enterprises in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications have been received from United Kingdom viticulture enterprises for grants under the farm and horticultural development scheme.
§ Mr. StrangEight initial eligibility applications have been received from viticulture enterprises in the United Kingdom 701W to date, of which two are still under consideration and six have been approved. Resulting from these, three development plans have been submitted and approved, and three have yet to be received.