§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures are currently available to assist family farms with the costs of fulfilling pollution control requirements.
§ Mr. CurrySince the farm and conservation grant scheme was introduced in 1989, £88 million has been spent on grants to help United Kingdom farmers meet the costs of installing or improving waste handling facilities. Free initial advice on pollution control is available to farmers from the Agricultural Development Advisory Service, the Scottish Agricultural College and the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture.
In addition, the Ministry is carrying out a pilot study to see if farmers can help to reduce pollution themselves by drawing up their own farm waste management plans.