RURAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDING

Early day motion 173, tabled 8 December 1999 by Paul Marsden (Labour). Signed by 27 members.

That this House welcomes the Government's announcement on the Rural Development Regulation which increases rural development and environmental investment to ú1.6 million over the next seven years and which is a 60 per cent. increase; believes that this demonstrates the Government's commitment to agriculture, rural communities and the rural economy; particularly welcomes the 229 per cent. increase in funding for the organic conversion scheme amounting to ú140 million and an extra ú500 million for the countryside stewardship scheme; recognises the full match funding agreed by the Government for the modulated element; which is new money; congratulates the Minister of Agriculture and his team for securing this deal with EU partners; notes the last Tory Government's failure to achieve any comparatively significant funding for agr-environment schemes; and urges farmers, rural communities and the Government to maximise the potential of this new investment.

Signatures by party: Labour 23, Labour/Co-operative 3, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.