§ Mr. HurstTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures will be put in place for removing fallen stock from farms. [124878]
§ Mr. BradshawThe Government are currently considering whether a national scheme for fallen stock is viable and will be making an announcement about this shortly.
In the meantime, the Fallen Stock helpline on 0845 8507070 can give advice to farmers on collection services in their area to enable them to dispose of their fallen stock now.
§ Mr. Clifton-BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs how many responses to the questionnaire on the proposed National Fallen Stock Disposal Scheme were(a) in favour and (b) against; in what publications the deadline estimates of 7 and 28 May were notified; how individual farmers with more than one livestock holding were notified that they could cast a vote for each holding; how many eligible farmers and livestock holdings there are; how those not voting were classified; and on what basis the 50 per cent. threshold was set. [R] [124865]
§ Mr. BradshawA total of 105,404 letters were sent to livestock holdings on which we had information that livestock were present from their latest census return. By 30 May we had received 36,249 responses from farmers in England to the questionnaire, of which 32,489 expressed an interest in joining the scheme, 1,833 stated that they were not interested due to cost, and 1,927 stated they would be making other arrangements. No reply was received to 69,155 letters. These numbers exclude responses where farmers said they no longer had livestock or where the letter was returned by the Post Office as gone away.
The letter made clear that the proposed scheme was on a payment per holding basis. Complete information on the number of eligible farmers (some of whom may have more than one holding) is not available. However, we have made some estimates where we have information about farmers with multiple holdings who 315W only sent one reply. Where such a reply expressed an interest in joining the scheme we have adjusted the figures to show other holdings owned by the same farmer to a 'yes' response. This increases the 'yes' figure from 32,489 to 33,864.
The deadlines for responses were published in Defra News Releases, News releases issued by the NFU, adverts were placed in the farming press and a number of news items publicising the deadlines also appeared in the farming press.
The 50 per cent. threshold was set on the basis of estimates about the funds that this level of participation in a scheme would raise and which, when taken with the government contribution, would allow the scheme to operate in a way that was financially viable.