§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to prohibit the use of biofuels on set-aside land; and if she will make a statement. [120537]
§ Mr. Bradshaw[holding answer 20 June 2003]: The set-aside requirements are part of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) support arrangements for the arable sector.
The current scheme allows the growing of certain energy and other non-food crops. We believe this is a valuable flexibility in the use of set-aside land, which can contribute to wider environmental benefits.