§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he proposes to increase the sums available for the countryside premium on set-aside land, in terms of(a) the amount available for the scheme as a whole and (b) the premium payable per hectare.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryI have been delighted by the response to the countryside premium in its first year; the Countryside Commission has drawn up agreements with farmers covering over 3,500 hectares of set-aside land, which will be managed to provide benefits for both landscape and wildlife and new areas of countryside for the public to enjoy. We need, however, to gain more experience of the operation of the scheme before taking decisions on any major changes to it.