HL Deb 28 October 1985 vol 467 cc1440-1WA
Lord Stanley of Alderley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they hope to inform those who have appealed to be included in the extension to the Less Favoured Areas whether their application has been successful or not.

Lord Belstead:

The closing date for receipt of representations against exclusion from the less favoured areas was 31st July. By that date we had received over 11,000 representations, each one of which will have to be tested against the land quality, economic and demographic criteria which Less Favoured Areas Directive (EC 75/268) prescribes. The land quality assessment is already under way. It is however still too soon to judge when all appeals will have been fully examined or when we shall be in a position to decide whether to make a further application to the European Commission for adjustments to the LFA line. Only when this has been done will it be possible to inform farmers if their representations have been successful, though the outcome of representations which fail the criteria will of course be known earlier.