§ Mr. LathamTo ask the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (1) whether he will make a statement on his intentions with regard to research projects at his Department's experimental husbandry farms designed to help farmers to adjust to the proposed ban on straw and stubble burning after 1992;
(2) what research he is currently funding into direct drilling techniques of cultivation suitable for use in fields of unburnt stubble which could be available to farmers after the ban on burning comes into effect;
(3) what information is to be offered by his Department's advisory service to help farmers who work on heavy clay land, or who use direct drilling techniques, to adjust to the proposed ban on straw and stubble burning.
§ Mr. MacleanMy Department has an extensive research commitment aimed at providing farmers with the best possible advice on handling and cultivation techniques which will help them to adapt to the proposed ban on the burning of crop residues after 1992. The research being conducted on five experimental husbandry farms, in close collaboration with the Agriculture and Food Research Council, covers a wide range of soil types including heavy clay land, and a number of cultivation techniques, including direct drilling. The results of this work are disseminated to farmers by the agricultural development and advisory service through advisory visits, publications, conferences and seminars.