§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement summarising the decisions taken by the December 1994 meeting of the Agriculture Council in relation to greater flexibility in defining land eligibility under the arable area payments scheme; and what action subsequently has been taken by his Department in relation to those decisions. [31938]
§ Mr. JackAt the December 1993 Agriculture Council that agreement was reached, subject to terms to be determined, on greater flexibility on land eligibility. In August 1994, EC Commission implementing regulations were brought into force establishing eligibility for land growing certain multi-annual crops on 31 December 1991; providing for the declaration of new land as eligible following compulsory purchase; for exchanges of land under certain circumstances and for structure plans in certain other member states.
In the light of UK representations, the EC Commission subsequently recognised concerns over conflict between the terms of the Council agreement as laid down in EC Council regulations 1765/92 and the Commission implementing regulations, and indicated that it would consider corrective changes. The Commission determined finally not to take such regulatory action and restricted further amending provisions, which came into force on 22 April 1995, to detailed rules of exchanges of eligible land.
Details on the application of these changes, including any arrangements resulting from consultation on a UK plan for exchanges of eligible land, will be contained in the arable area payments explanatory guide for 1995–96 due to be published this summer.