Sheep (Hansard, 27 January 1992)

§ Mr. Marlow
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why there has been an increase in the length of the claim for sheep premium form SAP1B (Rev G1991) for 1992.

§ Mr. Curry
The 1992 sheep annual premium scheme claim form has been expanded in order to give effect to new European Community rules concerning the eligibility for premium of members of producer groups, shepherds and producers who lease all or part of their flocks.

§ Mr. Marlow
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the effect on the health of the ewe flock of requiring to replace fallen ewes within the period in order to retain premium payments.

§ Mr. Curry
It is not possible to access what, if any, effect the replacement rules would have on the health of the ewe flock. However, I would expect the prudent farmer to take all necessary precautions to ensure that only healthy animals are introduced into his flock, irrespective of whether this is during or outwith the sheep annual premium scheme retention periods.

§ Mr. Marlow
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many man hours he expects the 447W average sheep farmer will require to comply with the recording and correspondence requirements of the new system for claiming ewe premium.

§ Mr. Curry
The time sheep farmers require to complete the recording and correspondence obligations of the sheep annual premium varies considerably, not least according to the number of sheep losses they incur. The obligations—which in a modified form already existed prior to 1992—should be seen against the background of an expected average premium payment of about £4,500 per producer in 1992.

§ Mr. Marlow
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the benefits to United Kingdom agriculture of the additional requirements in the sheep premium application procedure.

§ Mr Curry
The new rules for sheep annual premium are designed to improve the effective administration of a scheme which is estimated to be worth some £400 million to United Kingdom producers in 1992.

§ Mr. Marlow
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the effect on the orderly marketing of barren, lambless and milkless ewes of the lapsing of premium unless ewes are held until the end of the period.

§ Mr. Curry
It has been a requirement of the sheep annual premium scheme since 1984 that eligible animals must be kept throughout one of the two 100-day retention periods in order to benefit from premium. In the United Kingdom these periods have been set so as to minimise any adverse effect on the orderly marketing of sheep.

§ Mr. Marlow
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what control the EC has over the enforcement of the ewe premium arrangements in France, Italy, Greece and Spain; and what steps he intends to take to ensure that they will be enforced.

§ Mr. Curry
European Community rules on enforcement of the sheep annual premium scheme are administered by the national authorities in each member state. Audit inspections are carried out by European Community auditors in all member states to ensure that they operate the scheme in accordance with the rules and member states face financial penalties should they fail to do so. The United Kingdom takes the lead in the Community in pressing for the effective enforcement of EC schemes and will continue so to do.