§ Mrs. DeanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much his Department has spent on agri-environmental schemes in the financial year to date; and how much was spent in 1996–97. [113376]
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§ Mr. Nick BrownPayments to farmers under agri-environmental schemes in England were £44.4 million in the 1996–97 financial year and are expected to be £87.4 million in 1999–2000. This is an increase of 97 per cent. over the three year period. Our target this year for the Countryside Stewardship Scheme is to enter into around 3,000 new agreements compared to around 1,300 in 1999.