§ Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many acres of land in the United Kingdom are covered by the set-aside arrangements; how much subsidy per acre is paid; and whether the responsibility for payment rests with the European Community, or national governments.
§ Mr. CurryUnder the voluntary five-year set-aside scheme some 155,000 hectares—383,000 acres—have been set aside in the United Kingdom. This scheme is now closed to new entrants.
Payment rates under the five-year scheme are determined by member states within limits laid down in Council Regulation (EEC) 2328/91. Payments in the United Kingdom range between £100 and £222 per hectare —£40 to £90 per acre—depending on the management regime followed by the participant and on whether the land has less favoured area status. Scheme payments are made by national governments but are 60 per cent. reimbursed from the EC budget.
In future, growers who wish to claim the new arable area payments under the main scheme will have to set aside 23W 15 per cent. of the area on which they claim. The set-aside period does not start until 15 December and it is not possible at this stage to say precisely how much land will be set aside in 1992–93.
The set-aside payment is fixed by Council Regulation (EEC) 1765/92 at 45 ecu/tonne converted to an area payment on the basis of average historic regional yields. For the United Kingdom the regional rates in ecu per hectare (acre) are:
Hectare £ Acre £ England 266.85 106.74 Scotland (LFAs) 216.45 85.58 Scotland (non-LFAs) 254.25 101.70 Wales 209.25 83.70 Northern Ireland 211.95 84.78 These payments will be converted to pounds sterling at the rate applicable on 1 July 1993. The current green exchange rate is 1 ecu = £0.818896. These payments are fully reimbursed from the EC budget.
Under both schemes responsibility for payment rests with national governments, but the Commission has responsibility for checking that member states have satisfactory arrangements for payments and controls.