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Environmentally Sensitive Areas

Volume 222: debated on Thursday 2 April 1992

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To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much will be spent or has been spent in each year from 1990–91 to 1995–96 on (a) stage 1 environmentally sensitive areas, (b) stage 2 ESAs, (c) stage 3 ESAs and (d) stage 4 ESAs, identifying how much of the total is allocated for the public access payments (i) nitrate sensitive areas, (ii) moorland scheme, (iii) habitat improvement scheme, (iv) set-aside management identifying how much of the total will be for public access payments and (v) organic farming; if he will identify which schemes are part of the agri-environment package; and if he will make a statement.

There is a single budget for the Ministry's environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs). Expenditure on payments to farmers in English ESAs was £7·5 million in 1990–91, £8·0 million in 1991–92 and is forecast to be £10·8 million in 1992–93. Planned expenditure is £30·2 million in 1993–94, £42·6 million in 1994–95 and £43.1 million in 1995–96. The figures for the last two years include the proposed payments for public access in ESAs. Expenditure on payments to farmers in the pilot nitrate sensitive areas (NSAs) was £0.3 million in 1990–91, £1.0 million in 1991–92, and is forecast to be £1.4 million in 1992–93. Planned expenditure is £1.6 million in each of the years 1993–94 to 1995–96. In addition to this expenditure on ESAs and pilot NSAs, we have issued for public consultation proposals for a moorland scheme, a habitat improvement scheme, a meadowland scheme for public access to set-aside land and an organic scheme, and will shortly be issuing proposals for new nitrate measures. Planned expenditure on payments to farmers under these proposed new measures in England is £0.2 million in 1993–94, £4.5 million in 1994–95 and £18·8 million in 1995–96. The precise allocation between the schemes will be decided in the light of the results of public consultation.