§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 25 March,Official Report, column 728W, on flood defences, if she will make a statement on Article 33 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/99 of 17 May 1999 and its applicability to flood management in the UK. [51466]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Rural Enterprise Scheme, which forms part of the England Rural Development Programme, implements rural development measures under Article 33 of Council Regulation 1257–99. That Article includes, among its 13 measures, scope for restoring agricultural production potential damaged by natural disasters (which could include some, not all, flood incidents) and introducing appropriate prevention measures.
Given the small scale of the EU Rural Development funds allocated to the UK, and the fact that the UK taxpayer would have to fund a significant proportion of the costs, careful targeting of the ERDP was necessary. The measures adopted under the Rural Enterprise Scheme reflect the range of regional priorities and targets identified following close consultation with statutory partners and stakeholders. They are wide-ranging in nature but also reflect the scheme's primary aim of helping farmers to adapt to changing markets and develop new business opportunities. The measure referred to above was not identified as a priority for support and therefore is not included in the scheme. The hon. Member will know from answers to previous questions, including that given to him on 15 November 2001, Official Report, columns 890–91W, the substantial investment in flood and costal defence made by the Government.