Written question asked by Nick Harvey (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 12 November 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 19 November 1998. It was answered by Elliot Morley (Labour) on Thursday, 19 November 1998 on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Question: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what criteria will be used to determine which applicants will be accepted into the Countryside Stewardship Scheme in 1999; and if he will comment on the effects of the recent £1 million addition to the scheme's budget. - Inc figs.

Answer: Mr. Harvey: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what criteria will be used to determine which applicants will be accepted into the Countryside Stewardship Scheme in 1999; and if he will make a statement on the effects of the recent £1 million addition to the scheme's budget. [60175] Mr. Morley: All applications for grants under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme are assessed against the aims and objectives of the Scheme and local priorities which are set at country level in consultation with MAFF's statutory advisers and interested organisations. Applications which offer the best environmental value for money are offered agreements. The £1 million addition to the Countryside Stewardship budget announced recently is part of a total increase in scheme expenditure of £2 million. The £1 million will be used to provide new Stewardship agreements in the upland areas of England. This will bring the total budget available for new agreements in 1999 to £7.5 million. £0.5 million will be used to fund the Countryside Stewardship elements of the upland experiments in the Forest of Bowland and on Bodmin Moor. The aim of the experiment is to test how an integrated programme of agri-environment and rural development funds can work on a practical day to day level. The remaining £0.5 million is to keep open the pilot Arable Stewardship scheme in 1999.

Secondary information