§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if applicants for hill livestock compensatory allowance will be entitled to receive both hill livestock compensatory allowance and Forestry Commission subsidy in respect of the same acreage under changes announced in his statement of 28 November; and if hill livestock compensatory allowance paid under this new provision will differ from payments made in respect of non-afforested land;
(2) if the fact that an applicant for hill livestock compensatory allowance has already received Forestry Commission subsidy will in any way be prejudicial to his application for hill livestock compensatory allowance made in respect of afforested land under the changes announced in his statement to the House of 28 November; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if he will give details of the rule changes to allow afforested land to be taken into account in hill livestock compensatory allowance applications referred to in his statement of 28 November; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. JoplingAmending regulations have been laid before Parliament in draft, which, if approved, will give effect to the changes in the hill livestock compensatory allowance scheme that I announced on 28 November. In relation to afforestation, we propose that where a recipient of HLCAs converts part of his eligible land to forest on or after 1 January 1986, the afforested area shall be treated as if it were eligible land, for a maximum of 15 years, in calculating the total allowances payable within the financial ceilings laid down in the HLCA regulations. This will not affect the rates of allowance for eligible animals. However, as I said on 28 November, we will be introducing special checks to prevent over-grazing in the areas concerned.
The fact that a person has previously received Forestry Commission grants will not of itself prejudice an application for HLCAs, although land afforested prior to 1 January 1986 will not be taken into account in HCLA calculations. Furthermore, the fact that an area of land is taken into account for HCLA calculations will not affect eligibility for Forestry Commission grants in respect of this land.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the increase in real and cash terms, in hill livestock compensatory allowances payable in each year from 1980 to date in the original less-favoured areas and from their inception to date in the new less-favoured areas.
§ Mr. GummerI shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.