§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for the latest available date the total percentage of agricultural land in the United Kingdom per region, which is currently set aside, giving percentages for each of the EC countries in relation to agricultural land.
§ Mr. CurryThe latest information available on the percentage of arable land set aside in the United Kingdom and other European Community countries is as follows.
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United Kingdom Estimated are of land in set-aside schemes1 (hectares) Arable land2 (hectares) Percentage of arable land set-aside England 138,789 5,196,171 2.67 Scotland 28,614 1,063,597 2.69 Wales 1,851 225,690 0.82 Northern Ireland 398 250,447 0.16 Notes: 1 Includes 1988, 1989 and 1990 participants and 1991 applicants for the Five-year Set-aside scheme as well as 1991 applicants for the One-year Set-aside scheme. 2Source: Agricultural Statistics United Kingdom 1989.
Other European Community Countries1 Estimated area of land in five year set-aside scheme hectares) Arable land(hectares) Percentage of arable land set-aside United Kingdom 132,000 6,867,000 1.9 Germany (excluding former GDR) 299,837 7,265,000 4.0 Netherlands 15,199 897,000 1.7 Belgium 706 711,000 0.1 France 166,575 17,659,000 0.9 Ireland 1,766 1,029,000 0.2 Spain 84,087 15,660,000 0.5 Greece 250 2,925,000 0.009 Italy 608,705 9,010,000 6.8 Luxembourg 122 56,000 0.22 Denmark 4,719 2,577,000 0.2 Notes: 1Source: European Commission Working Document V1/5279/91 of 22 October 1991. Only includes 1988, 1989 and 1990 intake into five-year set-aside scheme except for Greece (only 1989) and Denmark (only 1990). Commission figures not available for 1991 applications for five year and one-year set-aside schemes. Portugal exempt from five year scheme until 1994.