HC Deb 04 December 1980 vol 995 c175W
19. Mr. Knox

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made on the survey on marginal land areas.

40. Mr. Trippier

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress he is making with his attempts to reclassify marginal land.

54. Mr. Wigley

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress he has made in preparing his study of marginal land.

Mr. Peter Walker

The pilot study in Shropshire and Powys announced in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North, (Sir W. Elliot)—[Vol. 984, c.631–31.]—on 15 May was completed earlier this year. Its results have been studied and have shown that it should be possible to conduct a full survey, using the agriculture land classification map as a starting point, for identifying areas of marginal land which would fulfil the criteria laid down by European Community directive 75/268 for classification as additional less favoured areas.

I have agreed with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to proceed on that basis with a view to completing the survey for the whole of the United Kingdom before the end of 1981.