§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the effect of the CAP Reform, on environmental improvement. [76996]
Mr. Jon Owen JonesThe new integrated rural development regulation, part of the Agenda 2000 CAP reform package agreed last week, makes it mandatory to introduce new agri-environmental schemes in all parts of all member states. In Wales, this is already in place in the form of Tir Gofal.
748WThe regulation will also allow the UK to introduce a new scheme to replace Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances and deliver support to hill farmers more effectively while taking account of environmental protection requirements. The new scheme can be tailored to cater for differences and priorities in different areas within member states.
The creation of the new integrated rural development regulation creates a good basis on which future reforms will be able to implement a switch from supporting agricultural production to environmental measures. The current reforms have not moved very far in this regard and the significant shift to environmental measures is a matter which will have to be pressed further in reform of the CAP in future.
§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the recently announced Reform of the CAP and its effect on the farming community of Alyn and Deeside. [76995]
Mr. Jon Owen JonesThe provisional agreement reached by the Agriculture Council represents a significant change in the direction of the CAP—a direction for which the UK Government have been strongly pressing. The Welsh Office is assessing how the proposed reforms will affect farmers in Wales.