§ Mr. Johnasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many agriculture improvement scheme applications have been approved since the commencement of the scheme;
(2) how many agriculture improvement scheme applications have been rejected since the commencement of the scheme;
(3) how many rejected agriculture improvement scheme applications were connected with (a) the ADAS drainage design service and (b) independent applicants;
678W(4) how many agricultural improvement scheme applications have included land drainage operations as part or whole of the plan.
§ Mr. Donald Thompson[pursuant to his reply, 16 February 1987, c. 483]: Separate information is not available on whether advice on the preparation of plans involving drainage work which had to be rejected had been given by the ADAS field drainage design service or others. Rejection is usually the result of an applicant's failure to comply with the eligibility conditions of the scheme.
Up to 31 December 1986 7,582 plan applications had been approved in the United Kingdom under the agriculture improvement scheme, 1,395 had been rejected and a further 3,935 were under consideration. Drainage operations accounted for around 13 per cent. of the total approved investments.