Agri-environment Schemes (Hansard, 14 July 1997)

§ Mr. Baker
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to provide financial support for the Weald Meadows Initiative. [7596]

§ Mr. Morley
The restoration and enhancement of species-rich grassland and other features within the High Weald, including the Weald Meadows Initiative area, have been identified as a priority under the Countryside Stewardship scheme.

§ Mr. Baker
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the importance of maintaining rare plants within the Sussex Weald; and what action he is taking to this end. [7597]

§ Mr. Morley
The Sussex Weald is one of the target areas identified under the Countryside Stewardship scheme. These are areas which are identified as priorities in consultation with local environmental organisations and for which applications under the scheme are encouraged. Targeting statements are reviewed annually and are made available to applicants with the scheme literature. In the High Weald target area statement the restoration and improvement of species-rich grassland is listed as a high priority.

§ Mr. Baker
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what factors underlay his decision not to allocate funding to the Weald Meadows Initiative. [7598]

§ Mr. Rooker
An application under the Marketing Development Scheme, for grant to match-fund the cost of a products co-ordinator and marketing campaign for the Weald Meadows Initiative, was made in October 1996. This faced strong competition for the limited funds available and, although the proposal had merit, other projects better satisfied the key scheme criterion of demonstrating a significant marketing development.

§ Mr. Baker
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to increase payments for undersowing in environmentally sensitive areas. [7608]

§ Mr. Morley
The South Downs environmentally sensitive area was received last year, and new options were introduced for the management of arable land to benefit wildlife, particularly farmland birds such as finches, buntings and partridges. A payment of £110 per hectare is offered for leaving winter stubbles uncultivated until 30 November, and then sowing a spring cereal crop which is undersown with a grass and clover seed mixture. Applications for this option have been received for about 160 hectares of land. The payment rate is currently under review, and the outcome will be announced early in 1998.