Examination of Witnesses (Questions 100
- 101)
WEDNESDAY 11 JULY 2007
Dr Mark Avery, Dr Sue Armstrong-Brown and Mr Harry
Huyton
Q100 Chairman:
One specific: something which could come out of the Health Check
would be the abolition of set-aside. Views?
Dr Avery: As we said, set-aside has done environmental
good accidentally. It was not an environmental scheme. The RSPB
supported set-aside when it came in, but it has done good. It
is going to disappear and it makes sense in policy terms that
it does disappear. Why would you have a system for limiting production
when your funding is not based on production? But we would like
to see the accidental but real benefits of set-aside somehow incorporated
into the future, so we would not want to lose the environmental
benefits of set-aside. That is one reason why we are keen on more
money going into agri-environment schemes which could take up
the slack if set-aside disappears, as it surely will at some stage.
Q101 Chairman:
I think we are just about done. If you could rack your brain,
is there anything you would like to say but you have not had the
opportunity of saying?
Dr Avery: I think not, but if there is something
-
Dr Armstrong-Brown: It has been touched on,
sort of, through some of the conversations we have had. For a
more positive outcome from the Health Check and the Budget Review
that is coming up to happen, for a new CAP to evolve, there is
going to have to be a catalysis mechanism to get that debate going
in Europe. It is very live in this country. It is extremely good.
There is high-quality thinking going on. I do not think you get
such high-quality debates everywhere else in Europe, and I do
think they are necessary to think through these things properly.
Through our partner organisations in Bird Life International we
are trying to do some of it, but I do think there is a major role
for the UK Government here to lead that debate in a positive way
which actually requires mental engagement from people rather than
posturing. I do think that is absolutely crucial and it will be
one of the things that makes the new CAP good or bad, depending
on how it is done.
Chairman: Thank you very much indeed.
Thank you for your time and your help.
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