HL Deb 13 June 1996 vol 572 c181WA
Lord Renton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many acres of orchard in England and Wales were grubbed up in 1995, how much was paid in subsidies to growers who grubbed them up, how many tonnes of fruit were estimated to have been lost thereby, and whether the Government will now modify the grubbing up policy.

Lord Lucas

Under the EC Apple Orchard Grubbing Up Grant Scheme 1994/5, 2,310 hectares were grubbed in England and a total of £10.2 million was paid to growers. It is not possible to predict the volume of fruit which might have been produced on the grubbed area. There were no applications in Wales and this scheme closed on 31st January 1995.