HC Deb 13 March 1997 vol 292 cc350-1W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects his Department to publish the booklet "Farm Woodlands: An Introductory Guide"; and what plans he has to publicise the farm woodland premium scheme in advance of the booklet becoming available. [19578]

Mr. Boswell

Full details of the revised farm woodland premium scheme will be contained in the new "FWPS Rules and Procedures" booklet. Both this and the new application forms are currently being printed and are expected to be available before the beginning of April when the new scheme is due to commence.

Advice of a more general nature will be contained in "Farm Woodlands: An Introductory Guide". Work is currently in progress on this. Interested organisations will be consulted shortly on the draft and it is expected that the booklet will be published in the autumn of this year. In the meantime, the existing "Farm Woodlands: A Practical Guide", which the new booklet will replace, is being reprinted.

Publicity for the scheme will be concentrated over the spring and summer, with various promotional activities, including targeting local farming events and the agricultural shows, undertaken by ADAS and the Scottish Agricultural College advisory service. We also intend to

Adult herd size 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
1–9 21 81 166 303 553 826 976 1,074 1,126
10–19 23 90 213 401 691 1,039 1,248 1,382 1,441
20–29 35 141 337 589 1,045 1,512 1,783 1,922 1,995
30–39 56 221 507 913 1,539 2,106 2,427 2,561 2,638
40–49 90 325 727 1,216 1,959 2,630 2,924 3,057 3,116
50–59 107 386 760 1,225 1,850 2,398 2,701 2,825 2,884
60–69 107 384 762 1,255 1,876 2,393 2,625 2,709 2,780
70–79 117 358 728 1,151 1,688 2,119 2,347 2,422 2,447
80–89 122 363 696 1,109 1,582 1,938 2,114 2,176 2,207
90–99 97 347 663 1,025 1,380 1,685 1,797 1,831 1,857
100–149 456 1,463 2,571 3,683 4,870 5,753 6,138 6,243 6,307
150–199 192 601 1,066 1,454 1,823 2,080 2,189 2,237 2,260
200–249 91 253 412 545 671 772 823 838 845
250+ 58 147 249 319 400 498 535 545 550
Unknown 22 45 95 251 554 899 1,097 1,225 1,388
Total 1,594 5,205 9,952 15,439 22,481 28,648 31,724 33,047 33,841

It is not possible, without disproportionate cost, to provide the total number of herds for each category of herd size.

Mrs. Helen Jackson

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will make a statement to the House regarding the disposal to landfill of BSE-related cattle carcases and other remains. [20080]

Mrs. Browning

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Dr. Strang) on 11 March 1997,Official Report, columns 54–5.