§ Mrs. Anne CampbellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to increase the proportion of Common Agricultural Policy expenditure devoted to rural development. [155699]
§ Ms QuinThe Government are committed to further expansion of rural development measures: the "second pillar" of the CAP. In England some £1.6 billion is being injected into rural areas over seven years. In practice, this means increasing spending from 1999 levels by about 60 per cent. over the period. £300 million of this will be money redirected, or "modulated", from direct support mechanisms. The Government are supplementing this modulated money with a further £300 million. At Community level, we will continue to press for a greater share of EU funding from the second pillar.