Moorland (Hansard, 24 July 1985)

§ Mr. Stephen Ross
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions since 1981 farm capital grants for the reseeding or reclamation of moorland have been refused on conservation grounds in sites of special scientific interest and national parks and in other areas.

§ Mrs. Fenner
I regret that the Ministry does not keep records of cases where grant has been refused or of the reasons for refusal.

§ Mr. Stephen Ross
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what checks or other screening exists to prevent damage to moorland by reseeding or regeneration through grant aided agricultural improvements (a) within sites of special scientific interest and national parks and (b)in the wider countryside.

§ Mrs. Fenner
Applicants under the capital grant schemes must notify the Nature Conservancy Council or a national park authority of any investments they wish to carry out in an SSSI or national park. Throughout the countryside farmers are required under the capital grant schemes to have regard to conservation in undertaking investments. We monitor compliance with this requirement and in the event of any damage we have discretion to refuse grant. Under the proposed new grant arrangements grant will not be available for the reseeding and regeneration of grassland outside the less favoured areas and of heathland and moorland.

§ Mr. Stephen Ross
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he intends to take to ensure that the extension of the agriculture and horticulture grants scheme until 31 December 1988, giving grant aid for the reseeding of heathland and moorland will not cause significant damage to wildlife habitat outside national parks and sites of special scientific interest.

§ Mrs. Fenner
The extension of the agriculture and horticulture grant scheme permits claims to be made for reseeding of heathland and moorland only where expenditure was incurred before 9 July 1985. Under the grant schemes farmers are required to have regard to conservation and any breach of this condition will place a farmer's grant at risk.