§ Mr. HagueTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to make changes to the Pennine dales environmentally sensitive area scheme.
§ Mr. GummerAs I foreshadowed, I have decided to make changes to the provisions of the Pennine dales environmentally sensitive area scheme which I introduced on 15 January. This scheme was drawn up following extensive local consultations with farmers and conservationists. In the event, there do seem to be better ways of balancing the payments to achieve the envirmental ends. I have sought to maintain a premium payment for hay meadows, now set at £125 per hectare, while increasing the payment for pastures to £90 per hectare. I have also increased the payments for meadows which are managed without fertilisers to enhance their floral diversity to £210 per hectare. The necessary amending Statutory Instrument has today been laid before Parliament. I am sure that these changes will be welcomed by all farmers throughout the extended environmentally sensitive area as well as by the environmental interests. Questions of detailed application of the revised scheme will be addressed in a way which responds to local circumstances.