§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she has completed her consultation on the future of the Horticultural Development Council; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardI am pleased to announce that, having consulted the council and representative organisations in England, Scotland and Wales, my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and I have decided that the Horticultural Development Council should continue with its present constitution and functions for a further five years.
Our consultations with the industry have clearly demonstrated that the HDC commands a high level of
Regional service centres comparative performance data for financial year 1993–94 Unless otherwise specified Percentage rates Bristol Cambridge Carlisle Crewe Exeter Northallerton Nottingham Reading Worcester 1Total Farm woodland premium scheme Applications 100 99 100 100 100 99 98 100 98 99 Claims 99 99 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 99 Five year set-aside scheme 1992–93 scheme year claims 100 100 100 100 100 100 99 99 99 99 Environmentally sensitive areas Applications 90 86 100 88 4— 100 100 100 4— 91 Claims 95 100 96 92 100 100 100 100 4— 98 Nitrate sensitive areas Claims 96 4— 4— 100 4— 100 100 100 4— 99 Hill livestock compensation allowance 1994 scheme claims 99 4— 99 98 96 97 96 4— 99 98 Sheep annual premium scheme 1993 scheme payments claim2 82 73 92 87 86 88 86 80 86 86 Farm and conservation grant scheme Applications 100 100 100 100 95 89 100 100 93 97 Claims3 88 96 99 100 98 98 99 100 95 98 Agriculture improvement scheme Plan claims3 100 100 97 100 100 94 100 4— 100 97 Ministers consent to a short-term letting or licence Target 93 98 88 85 100 98 99 100 100 98 Permit to purchase strychnine Target 94 97 96 100 100 95 99 100 93 97 Injurious weed complaints Target 100 100 4— 94 4— 100 93 100 100 98 Agriculture wage inspections Target3 100 4— 100 100 4— 4— 4— 4— 4— 97 1 Numerical totals processed expressed as a percentage of number received. 2 SAPS lower success rate is largely due to problems associated with quota allocations. 3 Period July 1993 to March 1994. 4 Not entered as numbers dealt with 10 or less—numbers of cases are included in calculation of total percentage success rates. Non plan claims for AIS, and AHDS, FHDS and FDGS schemes, omitted from table as numbers are de minimis.