§ Diana OrganTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to offer continuous advice to farmers for improvements to their countryside stewardship schemes. [63625]
§ Mr. MorleyStaff from DEFRA's Rural Development Service operate a programme of visits to farmers with land under Countryside Stewardship Scheme agreement to advise them on technical aspects of management. However, provision of this advice is resource intensive and any decision to increase these advisory visits would need to balance the increase in resource costs against any increased environmental value for money which might result.
Advice on preparing new or upgraded applications to the scheme is available from various organisations including the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, local wildlife trusts, and National Park authorities in the relevant areas.
All aspects of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme are currently under review.
§ Diana OrganTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when she will review the Countryside Stewardship Scheme; [63623]
(2) what plans she has to change the 10 year timeframe of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. [63624]
§ Mr. MorleyCountryside Stewardship is currently being reviewed as part of a wider review of English agri-environment schemes. An initial public consultation exercise, inviting views on a number of strategic questions, closed on 27 May 2002. 119 responses have been received and are now being analysed. The results from this consultation exercise will be used to help develop a revised framework for English agri-environment schemes, working closely with stakeholders. Any changes to the schemes will need to be submitted to the European Commission as a proposed modification to the England Rural Development Programme.
All aspects of the current Countryside Stewardship Scheme are under consideration in this review, including the length of agreements.