§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) when she next plans to visit Wales; and if she will make a statement concerning the recent losses to cereal growers in the less-favoured areas in Wales as compared with England;
(2) if she will visit Wales in order to study the relative effect of arable aid payments to faemers in Wales as against those in England; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. JackMy right hon. Friend has made no plans to visit Wales in the near future.
Decisions on arable regionalisation for the United Kingdom under the arable area payments scheme are taken jointly by my right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. They decided that for 1994 it was in the best interests of the United Kingdom as a whole for each country to determine the yield regions within its own boundaries.
The decision to divide Wales into less-favoured areas and non-LFA yield regions was taken by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales in order to bring levels of compensation for the majority of specialist cereal growers in Wales closer to those in England. I understand, however, that no Welsh cereal grower will receive less this year than last, subject to any changes in the green rate in force on 1 July 1994 which will be used to calculate payments.