§ Mr. LivseyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if new entrants into farming will be eligible for the per cow compensation for the beef sector. [69019]
§ Mr. RookerThe £120 million aid package announced by my right hon. Friend on 16 November 1998,Official Report, columns 624–40, included a £30 million increase in the funding of Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances (HLCAs) for cattle in 1999, an extension to the Calf Processing Aid Scheme (CPAS) until the end of March 1999, and £48.3 million in agrimonetary compensation to the suckler cow sector.
New entrants to farming will be eligible for HLCA and CPAS payments, as long as they comply with the scheme rules, but not for agrimonetary compensation, since this was the second tranche of compensation for exchange rate revaluations affecting the beef sector during 1997 and had, under EU rules, to be paid on the basis of production in the 12 months prior to the revaluations.
In order to respect the conditions set by the EU—and also to ensure that the money reached affected beef producers promptly—the first tranche of compensation was paid to producers who received Suckler Cow Premium in 1996. Payments under the second tranche also had to be made to beef producers who were affected by 1997 revaluations.