asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the total area of farmland allocated as set-aside in the latest year for which statistics are available for (a) England as a whole, and (b) each county in England; and what proportion of set-aside land in each case was used for growing permitted crops. [HL897]

The information requested is detailed and will take more time to compile. I will write to the noble Lord with the information when this is available later this month and place a copy in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have made or intend to commission an assessment of the plant and wildlife value of set-aside. [HL1001]

The department published two reports (Change in the Area and Distribution of Set-aside in England in 2005 and its Environmental Impact and Project to Assess Future Options for Set-Aside) in February 2006. These looked at the environmental benefits that set-aside has delivered and at the potential environmental impact of set-aside policy options for the future. The reports are available on the Defra website at http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/evaluation/futuresetaside/ and www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/observatory/research/pdf/observatory01.pdf.