§ Lord Tebbitasked Her Majesty's Government:
What effect upon the diversity of animal and plant wildlife they expect consequent upon the change in regulations concerning the Arable Area Payments Scheme by which fields will no longer be measured to the middle of boundary hedges but to the centre line of an assumed hedge of only two metres in width. [HL780]
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Hayman)Applicants for subsidy under the Arable Area Payments Scheme (AAPS) have recently been notified about guidance from the European Commission concerning the width of field margins. Where a field is fully utilised according to normal practice and field margins do not exceed two metres in width, measured from the recognised Ordnance Survey (OS) boundary (for example, a fence, or the mid-point of a hedge) to the edge of the cropped area, an applicant will, as in previous years, be able to claim under AAPS for the total OS area of the field. Should a field margin exceed the two metre threshold, the applicant will instead need to claim on the actual cropped area (i.e. the OS measured area minus the total uncropped area around the field margin). We are concerned that this clarification of the AAPS rules might be detrimental to wildlife, and we are currently analysing what effect it might have and evaluating the options for minimising any problems which may arise. Moreover, MAFF's guidance urges farmers that, if they need to adjust the width of a field margin, they should seek advice on minimising the environmental impact of any such change.
§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What discussions have been held with English Nature, and similar statutory environmental organisations, on the environmental effects of changing the rules on the maximum width of field margins allowed under the Arable Area Payments Scheme (AAPS) of the European Commission Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS). [HL768]
98WA
§ Baroness HaymanMinistry officials met English Nature and the Countryside Agency on 19 October 1999 to discuss the environmental implications of the latest guidance on field margins applying in the context of the Arable Area Payments Scheme. It is hoped that a further meeting with English Nature will be held shortly. The topic has also been raised at various meetings with environmental organisations attended by MAFF Regional Directors and other officials.