To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of farms he estimates are likely to be included in the higher level stewardship scheme. (112247)

We estimate that approximately 10 per cent. of agricultural land in England could enter the HLS scheme. HLS is targeted at high value nature sites such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and other areas which could benefit from a high level of bio-diversity management. By the end of January there were 1,151 agreements covering 79,225 hectares in the scheme.