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Countryside Stewardship Scheme
Earl Peel asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the level of grant available under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme is sufficient to stem the spread of bracken.[HL1736]
Lord Whitty: The Countryside Stewardship Scheme is a multi-objective scheme which makes payments to farmers and other land managers to improve the natural beauty and diversity of the countryside. It is not a scheme designed to control the spread of bracken.
Payments for the control of bracken are available under the scheme, but only as part of a comprehensive programme of environmental improvements.
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Whitty on 29 November (HL 1566), when they will clear the 26 stewardship scheme payments which have been outstanding since February.[HL1776]
Lord Whitty: DEFRA regional staff are actively seeking to resolve all these outstanding claims and aim to pay them as appropriate once current investigations have been completed. Although we cannot give a specific date by which we can guarantee to have cleared all 26 claims, we will ensure that all claimants are kept informed.
Rural Recovery Co-ordinator
Earl Peel asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Whitty on 15 November (WA 96), whether
any Minister or officers in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at any stage drew to the attention of the Government's Rural Recovery Co-ordinator, Lord Haskins, the debate scheduled in the House of Lords on the countryside and rural recovery on 17 October.[HL1737]
Lord Whitty: We are not aware of any communications between Ministers or officials in the department and my noble friend Lord Haskins on this subject.
Earl Peel asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which of their policies result from the advice of the Government's Rural Recovery Co-ordinator, Lord Haskins.[HL1738]
Lord Whitty: On 18 October, the day of publication of my noble friend Lord Haskins's report, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, announced the provision of an additional £24 million for the Business Recovery Fund, designed to help small businesses recover from the effects of foot and mouth disease and the measures to control it. On 6 November my right honourable friend, the Minister of State for Rural Affairs (Mr Alun Michael), announced the provision of an additional £2 million for matched funding of charitable donations towards relieving hardship arising from foot and mouth disease. Both measures were in response to Lord Haskins's recommendations. The Government are still considering his other recommendations and will respond shortly. A number of practical issues raised by my noble friend Lord Haskins in his report and by the Rural Task Force and by others have been taken up in the normal course of business.
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