§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of the environmental impact on(a) historic hedges and (b) wildlife of the implementation of the two metre rule for subsidies. [115542]
§ Ms QuinI have been asked to reply.
This Department has held discussions with all the principal farming organisations and statutory environmental bodies on the issues mentioned by the hon. Member as well as with the European Commission.
Last week my right hon. Friend the Minister reached agreement with the EU Agriculture Commissioner, Franz Fischler, that the United Kingdom should, for this year, apply the same criteria as were used in 1999 and earlier years for determining the acceptability of hedges and other field margins included in claims based on whole Ordnance Survey field areas under the Integrated Administration and Control System. For 2001 and subsequent years, MAFF will work with the Commission in order to clarify what types of margins are acceptable for inclusion in aid claims and identify ways of safeguarding environmentally valuable hedges so that we can reach a permanent resolution of this issue.