HC Deb 25 March 2002 vol 382 cc716-7W
Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the average annual percentage change in the area of land required to spread a one tonne load of manure on farmland designated as being located in a nitrate vulnerable zone in the last five years. [44059]

Mr. Meacher

There have been controls of applying organic manures in nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZs) since December 1998.

Since then, there have been no changes in the area of land required to spread manure in a NVZ. The controls require farmers to remain within annual whole-farm limits for applying organic manure, allowing maximum nitrogen loadings of 250 kg/ha of total N on grassland and 210 kg/ha of total N on arable land.

From 19 December 2002 the maximum loading for arable land in existing NVZs (but not in new NVZs) will be reduced from 210 kg/ha to 170 kg/ha. At the maximum spreading rate permitted in a NVZ, any given amount of manure will then match the capacity of 24 per cent. more arable land than at present.

The N content of livestock manures depends on the number and type of livestock on individual farms. Farmers in existing NVZs make use of "Manure Planning in NVZs", available through DEFRA publications (08459 556000) or the internet (via a web link at http:// www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/quality/nitrate). This document contains simple calculations to identify the amount of manure delivering a particular nitrogen loading.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to announce her Department's decision on the amount of farmland to be designated as nitrate vulnerable zones; and when she expects to implement the nitrate vulnerable zone directive. [44060]

Mr. Meacher

The responses to the public consultation on options for implementing the nitrates directive are currently being analysed and we expect to publish the results, together with our decisions, by May 2002.

I anticipate that measures to implement the directive in new areas, to comply with a European Court Judgment, will come into force from 19 December 2002. Measures to implement the directive have been in force in existing nitrate vulnerable zones since December 1998.

Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms have been found to have exceeded acceptable nitrate levels in the United Kingdom for each of the last five years; and where they are. [44297]

Mr. Meacher

The Environment Agency's water quality monitoring data, aggregated from the years 1996–2000 inclusive, indicate that farmers across about 80 per cent. of England contribute to the greatest nitrate pollution problems. There is no information available about nitrate levels on individual farms.

An indicative map of these areas was included in the DEFRA consultation document "How Should England Implement the 1991 Nitrates Directive" published in December 2001.