HL Deb 10 June 2002 vol 636 cc12-3WA
Lord Greaves

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What agri-environment schemes are or have been in operation over the past three years; and what is the total amount of grants (a) offered and (b) paid for each of them in each year; and what are the estimates for the current year. [HL4544]

Lord Whitty

Four main agri-environment schemes operated over the past three years: environmentally sensitive areas, Organic Farming Scheme, Countryside Stewardship and arable stewardship schemes. A wide range of grants and annual payments are offered under these schemes. The number of current agreements and the total payments made, including a forecast for the current year, are as follows:

Financial Year Total no. of agreements1 Amount Paid £m
1999–00 20,284 77.4
2000–01 22,120 84.8
2001–02 25,351 101.6
2002–03 27,846 133.82
1 Agreements run for 5–10 years.
2 Forecast