§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list, for each UK-funded component of the Government's £203.5 million Action Plan for Farming, the departmental budget concerned. [121425]
§ Mr. Nick Brown[holding answer 9 May 2000]: The departmental budgets concerned with each UK-funded component of the Government's Action Plan for Farming are listed:
388W
Action plan for farming (8 May 2000) Measure Value Departmental budget1 Introduce a scheme to encourage the restructuring of the pig industry in order to improve its long-term viability £26 million (in 2000–01) MAFF Pay to dairy farmers all the agrimonetary aid that EU rules permit this year only £11 million (in 2000–01) IB Increase support for hill farmers beyond the level specified in the rural development plans submitted to the Commission £60 million (in 2000–01) MAFF—£15.3 million SE—£21.5 million NAW—£14.7 million DARD—£8.5 million Seek from the Commission an increase in the maximum weight per animal on which compensation is payable under the Over-Thirty-Months Scheme £20 million (estimate) (in 2000–01, based on euro rate of 0.64) MAFF—£13.3 million SE—£2.3 million NAW—£2.1 million DARD—£1.8 million (total estimate revised to £19.5 million based on euro rate of 0.6) Remove charges for dairy hygiene inspections in England as soon as thenecessary legislation can be put in place £1 million (in 2000–01) FSA Hold the increase in meat inspection charges for 2000–01 to the rate of inflation £4.5 million (in 2000–01) FSA 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. £3.5 million (in 2001–02) MAFF The Government will double the Regional Development Agencies' Redundant Building Grant Programme, which operates in Rural Priority Areas, to £8 million in 2000–01 £4 million (in 2000–01) DETR The Government will allocate £2.3 million to create in England a £2.3 million (over 2 years: £0.3 million in 2000–01 and £1.961 MAFF
389W
Action plan for farming (8 May 2000) Measure Value Departmental budget1 European Centre for organic fruit and nursery stock in 2001–02) A singe 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 firat four-year period £4.7 million over 4 years (from 2000–01) DETR/NAW 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 £1 million (in 2000–01) MAFF 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 £1.2 million (in 2000–01) MAFF The Government will help farmers develop better business practices through tailored business advice, As framers increasingly diversify their business, they will be able to draw and the wider expertise and services of the Small Business Sercice £6.5 million (in 2000–01) MAFF/DTI (to be determined) The Government will continue to support the Rural Stress Iinformation 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 their support to voluntary bodies dealing with rural £0.5 million (in 2000–01) MAFF
Action plan for farming (8 May 2000) Measure Value Departmental budget1 stress on the basis of an action plan they will draw up with them by June Launch an electronic portal for farming £0.4 million (in 2000–01) MAFF Business restructuring aid for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland—this is the responsibility of the devolved administrations and Northern Ireland £2 million (in 2000–01) SE, NAW, DARD (allocated separately) 1MAFF—Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food IB—Intervention Board
SE—Scottish Executive
NAW—National Assembly for Wales
DARD—Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Northern Ireland)
FSA—Food Standards Agency
DTI—Department of Trade and Industry
DETR—Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions