To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much is spent in the EU on paying for set-aside; and for what reasons. (116640)

The data requested are not available as payments against set-aside entitlements are not separately identified from other single payment scheme (SPS) expenditure at EU level. Despite the introduction of the SPS, set-aside was retained as a production control measure as part of the 2003 common agricultural policy (CAP) reforms. The Government have already signalled their view to our EU partners that constraints on production such as set-aside should be eliminated as part of the 2008 CAP reform ‘health check’.