HC Deb 17 April 2000 vol 348 cc330-5W
Mr. Yeo

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the value of the farm aid package announced on 30 March, and if he will publish a breakdown of the components of the farm aid package, listing for each component (a) its value, (b) its funding source, (c) eligible recipients, (d) conditions of eligibility, (e) time of availability, (f) budgetary year, (g) whether it has previously been announced by (i) the Government and (ii) the European Commission and (h) if it has been approved by the European Commission and, if not, when he expects such approval to be given. [117970]

Action plan for farming (13 April 2000)
Measure Value (£ million) Funding source Eligible recipients and conditions of eligibility Time of availability Previously announced EC approval
Introduce a scheme to encourage the restructuring of the pig industry in order to improve its long term viability 126 UK To be announced To be announced No An aid notification has been submitted to the EC
Pay to dairy farmers all the agrimonetary aid that EU rules permit this year only 122 UK (£ 11 million) and EU3 Aid will be allocated in proportion to milk quota held on 31 March 2000 To be announced No An aid notification will be submitted to the EC this month
Pay agrimonetary compensation to beef farmers of £22 million this year only. Payments will be made in connection with Beef Special Premium, Suckler Cow Premium and Extensification Payments for the 2000 scheme year 1,222 EU3 Payments will be made in connection with Beef Special Premium, Suckler Cow Premium and Extensification Payments for the 2000 scheme year The majority will be payable in November, and the remainder in the second quarter of 2001 No An aid notification will be submitted to the EU this month
Agrimonetary compensation to sheep farmers of £22 million this year in respect of 1999 scheme year claims 122 EU3 Paid to Sheep Annual Premium claimants in respect of the 1999 scheme year Payments will be made with the first advances of Sheep Annual Premium in Jul y/August No An aid notification will be submitted to the EC this month
Increase support for hill farmers beyond the level specified in the Rural Development Plans submitted to the Commission 160 UK The majority of the moneys will be added to the budgets for the LFA compensatory allowances, which will be modified to assist restructuring so as to strengthen the industry and to make it better able to deliver the social and environmental benefits provided by extensive sheep and beef grazing. The remainder will finance a consultancy programme to improve hill farmers' access to business skills LFA support payments are made in the early months of each year. No The scheme has been submitted to the EC for approval under the Rural Development Regulation; the changes will need to be discussed with the EC
Seek from the Commission an increase in the maximum weight per animal on which compensation is payable under the Over Thirty Months Scheme 420 UK Payable in respect of cattle slaughtered under the Over Thirty Months Scheme To be determined No The Over Thirty Months Scheme for cattle is an EU scheme and thus changes to its rules require the EC to make a proposal to be adopted by the Beef Management Committee on which all member states are represented. A formal request to that effect has been made to the EC

Mr. Nick Brown

[holding answer 6 April 2000]: The Action Plan for Farming discussed at the Farming Summit on 30 March outlined a programme of measures to help provide a proper, structured plan for the future. The aid measures amounting to over £200 million are listed. Many of the other measures within the Action Plan will also have considerable benefit to the farming industry, though it is not as yet possible to quantify these.

Action plan for farming (13 April 2000)
Measure Value (£ million) Funding source Eligible recipients and conditions of eligibility Time of availability Previously announced EC approval
Remove charges for dairy hygiene inspections in England as soon as the necessary legislation can be put in place 11 UK All dairy production holdings in England To remove the charge, the Dairy Products (Hygiene) (Charges) Regulations 1995 will need to be amended, which we estimate will take three months No EC approval not needed
Hold the increase in meat inspection charges for 2000–01 to the rate of inflation 14.5 UK All operators of licensed meat plants in GB 2001–01 Confirmation that the increase in Meat Hygiene charges will be kept to the level of inflation and announcement that this is equivalent to £4.5 million in 2000–01 EC approval not required
Increase the rate of grant under MAFF's Farm Waste Grant Scheme from 25 per cent, of eligible expenditure (under which uptake has been low) to 40 per cent. 23.5 UK Payable to farmers in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones installing improved manure storage and handling facilities to comply with regulatory measures As soon as EC approval is obtained No Existing scheme is an approved State Aid. Approval is being sought for an increase in rate
The Government will double the Regional Development Agencies' Redundant Building Grant Programme, which operates in Rural Priority Areas, to £8 million in 2000–01 14 UK Redundant farm building owners To be announced No Existing scheme is an approved State Aid
The Government will allocate £2.3 million to create in England a European Centre for organic fruit and nursery stock 52.3 UK UK Capital Modernisation Fund The European Centre will be located at Horticulture Research International in East Mailing, Kent No EC approval not required
A single charge for authorisation to dispose of used sheep dip, equivalent to the current application charge of £85, should cover the full four-year period of the initial authorisation. This means that the current annual charge of £107 will not be payable during the first four-year period 64.7 UK Small dischargers including farmers who dip sheep and need to dispose of sheep dip to land For first authorisation No EC approval not required
Business Restructuring in England:
The Government will pump-prime the drive to improve the competitiveness of farmers by providing funding for business improvement, on a challenge basis, following the model of the Agricultural Development Scheme 1999 11 UK Industry, organisation and partnerships Scheme will be launched in the next few weeks No Existing scheme is an approved State Aid. Approval will be sought for changes to the scheme
The Government will provide funding of £1.2 million to Lantra (National Training Organisation for the Landbased Sector) to promote the economic benefits of training and to analyse the training needs of 20,000 farm businesses 11.2 UK Farmers in England July 2000 No Existing scheme is an approved State Aid. Approval will be sought for changes to the scheme
Action plan for forming (13 April 2000)
Measure Value (£ million) Funding source Eligible recipients and conditions of eligibility Time of availability Previously announced EC approval
The Government will help farmers develop better business practices through tailored business advice. As farmers increasingly diversify their businesses, they will be able to draw on the wider expertise and services of the Small Business Service 16.5 UK Farmers in England The new service is being planned to start on 1 September 2000 No Need for EC approval to be confirmed
The Government will continue to support the Rural Stress Information Network by extending for at least a further year the secondment of a MAFF official to that organisation. MAFF will also increase the provision of free advice to those farmers referred to it by certain organisations. The Government will increase its support to voluntary bodies dealing with rural stress on the basis of an action plan it will draw up with them by June 10.5 UK Farmers in England Funds for rural stress support groups will be available in the summer No Need for EC approval to be confirmed
Launch an electronic portal for farming 10.4 UK The whole industry will stand to benefit The first phase is planned to go live by December 2000 No EC approval not needed
Business restructuring aid for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 12 UK Details are to be announced in due course by the devolved Administrations and Northern Ireland Details are to be announced in due course by the devolved Administrations and Northern Ireland No Will depend on measures to be announced
Total 203.5 — — — — —

Note:

In addition the Government will pay this year agrimonetary aid to arable farmers (£57 million, to be paid from mid-October 2000), sheep farmers (£10 million, being paid now) and beef farmers (£21 million, to be paid from mid-October 2000) which was previously announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 22 September 1999.

1 In 2000–01

2 In 2001–02

3 7 1 per cent, of the EU funding is borne by the UK because of the application of the Fontainebleau abatement

4 Estimate in 2000–01

5 Over 2 years: £0.3 million in 2000–01 and £1.961in 2001–02

6 Over 4 years

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