§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give(a) his Department's and (b) the European Community's definition for (i) set-aside and (ii) extensification.
§ Mr. GummerDefinitions applying to all member states including the United Kingdom are contained in a regulation on this subject now awaiting formal adoption by the Council. The regulation defines set-aside as withdrawal from agricultural production of at least 20 per cent. of land devoted to supported arable crops in the reference period for at least five years, with provision for the farmer to opt out after three years. Extensification is defined as reduction of at least 20 per cent. for a period of at least five years in a farmer's output of a surplus agricultural product, without any increase in production capacity for other surplus products.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether a ceiling for the annual or total cost to the European agricultural guarantee and guidance fund of the set-aside scheme was agreed at the European Community's Council meeting of 11 to 13 February.
§ Mr. GummerThe European Council agreed that a ceiling of 600 million ECUs should apply in 1992 to expenditure on set-aside and income aids taken together.