§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement about(a) the areas included and (b) the exclusion of river water in the nitrate vulnerable zone scheme; how it will be policed; and how many extra forms will be generated by it. [79243]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 4 November 2002]: The Nitrates Directive requires the identification of polluted waters using the following criteria: (a) surface and groundwaters which contain or could contain, if preventative action is not taken, nitrate concentrations greater than 50 mg/l; (b) surface waters which are or could become, if preventative action is not taken, eutrophic.
The Nitrates Directive then requires all known land draining into these waters, from which agriculture could contribute to the pollution, to be designated as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs). Around 55 per cent. of England has been designated as NVZs on the basis that it drains into these waters.
The Environment Agency (EA) are adopting a risk based approach to the enforcement of action programme measures which farmers located in the NVZs will be required to apply from 19 December 2002. The EA will prioritise farms that have the greatest potential for nitrate loss rather than visiting all farms, and will aim to work with farmers to help achieve compliance over a period of time.
There is no requirement for farmers to fill in any new forms to comply with this legislation. Farmers in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones are expected to keep records of their application of manures and fertilisers. However, there is complete flexibility for farmers to do this in whatever way is most convenient for them, including using existing field records.