§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the relationship between the countryside stewardship scheme and rural development funds from(a) a national and (b) a European source; and if he will make a statement. [148949]
§ Mr. MorleyFunding for the Countryside Stewardship Scheme is allocated through the seven-year England Rural Development Programme. Some £480 million of the total programme budget of £1.6 billion is assigned to Countryside Stewardship. Of this, £295 million is nationally funded. £185 million derives from European funds, of which 27 per cent. is sourced from the Community's allocation for rural development and 73 per cent. from modulating farmers direct aids.