§ Mr. WarrenTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy on the loss of hedgerows and their value to wildlife and the community.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonHedgerows play an important role in the countryside and provide a wide variety of benefits. In addition to their agricultural role they can form an integral feature of the landscape, provide a valuable habitat for wildlife and, in some cases, be of considerable historical interest. Their value is, however, dependent upon positive action and sympathetic management to keep them in good condition.
It is my Department's policy to enlist the voluntary co-operation of the farmers and landowners to whom the management of hedgerows necessarily falls. Our Agricultural Development and Advisory Service provides expert advice on hedgerow management, and initial advice for conservation purposes is free of charge.
A certain amount of hedgerow removal has occurred in recent decades due to changing agricultural circumstances, but we would not condone the unnecessary removal of, or damage to, hedgerows. We no longer grant aid the amalgamation of fields which often involved hedgerow removal. On the contrary, we provide capital grants at very favourable rates for both the laying of hedgerows and the planting of new ones.