§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total compensation paid to farmers for loss of earnings and clean-up of radioactive contamination on Welsh farms arising from the fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986. [22026]
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesThe sheep compensation scheme was introduced in July 1986 to compensate farmers whose enterprises had been disrupted as a result of movement and slaughter restrictions and other effects of the Chernobyl accident. The total paid out under the scheme in Wales up to the end of March 1995 is £7,524,272. Most of this sum has been compensation for costs associated with monitoring and marking animals before movement under consent.
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many farms in Wales are still affected by restriction notices imposed due to radioactive contamination following the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986; and what land area these farms constitute as a percentage of available farmland in Wales. [22017]
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesA review of the number of holdings now affected by post-Chernobyl restrictions, and of the extent to which those holdings are affected, was recently undertaken to assess the effects of recent derestrictions and the numerous changes in land ownership and tenure which have occurred during the past nine years.
The outcome of the review shows that 196 holdings now remain wholly affected by restrictions. A further 247 holdings are partially affected by virtue of their having access to some land inside the restricted area; this includes those holdings which have grazing rights within the area whether they are taken up or not, and those holdings which have some land, whether leased, owned or rented, within the restricted area. These figures will be subjected to future variation because of the frequent and often significant changes which will inevitably continue to occur in land ownership, tenure and occupation, including factors such as amalgamations and fragmentation of holdings.
Restrictions now cover about 160,000 acres which represents about 4 per cent. of agricultural land in Wales.