HC Deb 15 October 2002 vol 390 cc578-9W
Mr. Drew

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how she will measure the success of the Organic Action Plan; and what funding is being made available for the introduction of the Organic Action Plan. [73355]

Mr. Meacher

The Group that drew up the Action Plan and, from April 2003, the Advisory Committee on Organic Food and Farming will draw up and publish detailed criteria for measuring the success of the strategy for developing a sustainable organic food and farming sector in England. Funding for the changes to the Organic farming Scheme to provide for payments for five year agreements and other measures such as marketing, processing and training will come from the England Rural Development Programme. In addition £5m has been set aside over the five years beginning in 2003/2004 for the purpose of providing a grant to the organic industry to support its research priorities through the LINK programme.