Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms are participating in agri-environment scheme agreements; what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of such agreements in delivering her Department's agri-environmental objectives; and if she will make a statement.
James Paice (Minister of State (Agriculture and Food), Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; South East Cambridgeshire, Conservative)
As at23 May 2011, in England there were 56,186 participants in our agri-environment schemes, covering 6.3 million ha (67.4% of Utilisable Agricultural Area). Agri-environment schemes include Environmental Stewardship (ES) and its predecessor schemes, Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Countryside Stewardship.
The Government believe that agri-environment schemes are the key tool for delivering their objectives for the natural environment. Our schemes are supported by a £1.4 million/year monitoring and evaluation programme and a £2.1 million/year research programme.
Both these programmes contribute to the growing evidence base relating to the scheme objectives for wildlife, landscape, the historic environment, resource protection and access. The programmes include work to assess the impact of ES across a range of species, assess the success of ES habitat management and examine alternative management techniques with a view to improving the environmental delivery of the scheme.
The following link sets out further detail on effectiveness of the schemes:
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/farming/funding/aesiereport.aspx