To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what measures he has put in place to improve protection for wildlife. [77187]
[holding answer 16 March 1999]: The Government are committed to a continuing expansion of areas under agreement under the major agri-environment schemes and are making an extra £40 million available over the next three years for these schemes in England.
Other measures include introducing stronger protection for internationally important wildlife sites from flooding and coastal erosion, persuading the European Commission to simplify the arrangements for voluntary set-aside to enable it to be of greater benefit for wildlife, encouraging the development of the flax protocol, and updating Codes of Practice for Pesticides and the Protection of Water, Soil and Air.