§ Mr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the conditions beneficial to the environment which will be placed on farmers who will enter into the set-aside scheme agreed in the common agricultural policy reform package in May; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CurryEnvironmental conditions are a vital element of the new set-aside arrangements. They will be drawn up as soon as the detailed Commission implementing regulations have been agreed. I appreciate that this will not leave as much time as I would have liked to consult on and implement the new conditions before the start of the first set-aside period and there may have to be some flexibility in this first year. More detailed measures may then be necessary for the second and subsequent years, when farmers will be in a position to decide between rotational and non-rotational set-aside.