§ Mr. Gordon BrownTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give, for each year since its introduction(a) the total amount of conservation grants paid under the environmentally sensitive areas scheme and (b) the total amount of funding received from the European Economic Community for conservation grants under the environmentally sensitive areas scheme.
§ Mr. RyderIn the financial year 1987–88 the payments made under the ESA schemes in England amounted to £2.944 million. Our estimate of expenditure in the current financial year is £8.3 million. Information on funding received from the European Economic Community towards the ESA expenditure in 1987 is not yet available.
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list in theOfficial Report (a) the total extent in hectares, of each environmentally sensitive area, (b) the extent of agricultural land within each environmentally sensitive area, (c) the number of farmers eligible to enter into management agreements on each environmentally sensitive areas, (d) of the number of agreements concluded with farmers in each environmentally sensitive area and (e) the total area of land covered by agreements in each environmentally sensitive area.
§ Mr. RyderThe total area in hectares of each environmentally sensitive area in England is as follows:
606W
Hectares Broads 29,870 Somerset Levels and Moors 26,970 South Downs 53,340
Hectares Pennine Dales 15,900 West Penwith 7,210 Breckland 94,030 North Peak 50,250 Suffolk River Valleys 32,150 Shropshire Borders 21,000 Test Valley 2,690 The figures are provisional and subject to minor amendment when final measurement and checking has been completed. The extent of agricultural land in each environmentally sensitive area is still being measured. Information on the number of farmers eligible to enter the environmentally sensitive area scheme in each area is not available.
The number of agreements concluded in 1987 and total area of land covered in each environmentally sensitive area together with applications and agreements for 1988 are as follows:
Agreements 1987 Applications and agreements 1988 Area Number Area hectares Number Area hectares Broads 389 6,735 239 5,627 Somerset Levels 523 7,709 148 1,437 South Downs 58 3,104 65 2,743 Pennine Dales 218 8,130 39 1,175 West Penwith 139 5,552 10 314 Breckland — — 86 3,933 North Peak — — 77 35,911 Shropshire Borders — — 184 13,747 Suffolk River Valleys — — 287 7,191 Test Valley — — 15 373 The last five environmentally sensitive areas (and the South Downs Western extension) were not open for applications until 1988.
The last five environmentally sensitive areas (and the South Downs Western extension) were not open for applications until 1988.