Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Hansard, 14 March 1988)

§ Mr. Ron Davies
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he proposes to review the prescriptions for existing environmentally sensitive areas; and if he will consider extending to them the management options available in new environmentally sensitive areas.

§ Mr. Gummer
[holding answer 8 March 1988]: I have no plans to review prescriptions for environmentally sensitive areas before the effects of existing ones have been assessed. The additions to the range of options available in new ESAs were designed specifically for those areas and it would not be appropriate to extend them.

§ Mr. Ron Davies
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will clarify the procedures 443W adopted by monotoring steering committees operating in each environmentally sensitive area; and if he will give details of the extent to which representatives from bodies outside his Ministry are involved in monitoring programmes.

§ Mr. Gummer
[holding answer 8 March 1988]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 7 March at column 15.

§ Mr. Ron Davies
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether all applications from farmers in the first tranche of environmentally sensitive areas have now been processed; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Gummer
[holding answer 8 March 1988]: In 1987, a total of 1,421 applications to participate in ESA agreements in England were received, of which all but 12 have been fully processed.

§ Mr. Ron Davies
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will provide details of staffing allocations for each environmentally sensitive area; and when he expects all farms presently involved in the programme to have received visits from project officers.

§ Mr. Gummer
[holding answer 8 March 1988]: Each environmentally sensitive area has an appointed project officer from ADAS together with an assistant. They are supported by other staff from my Department as necessary. Most holdings are visited before an agreement is concluded and all will be visited at least once during the period of the agreement.

§ Mr. Ron Davies
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements he is making to enforce management prescriptions on relevant farms within environmentally sensitive areas; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Gummer
[holding answer 8 March 1988]: A sample of holdings will be visited each year to ensure that management prescriptions are being complied with. Every holding with a management prescription will be visited at least once during the period of the agreement. Provisions as to breach of agreements are set out in the designation orders.

§ Mr. Ron Davies
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how he proposes to secure the cooperation where relevant of water authorities and internal drainage boards in furthering environmentally sensitive area objectives.

§ Mr. Gummer
[holding answer 8 March 1988]: My Department, jointly with the Department of the Environment, will shortly be issuing revised conservation guidelines for drainage authorities. These guidelines cover the responsibilities of water authorities and internal drainage boards for environmental protection and specifically refer to ESA objectives.