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Subsidies must go - BeckettSource: FWi 15 May 2002
By Tom Allen-Stevens at Westminster
RURAL Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett has told an influential committee of MPs that farm subsidies must be abolished.
The government is committed to radical reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, she told the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.
Reform would be in the long-term interests of UK farmers, Mrs Beckett said on Wednesday (15 May).
The 12-strong group of MPs is considering the prospects for agriculture and land stewardship if farm subsidies were to end.
"We would like to see all subsidies phased out and removed over time," said Mrs Beckett, who was submitting evidence on the last day of the hearing.
"But we do recognise that farmers provide some services like environmental management that are public goods and the public should find some way of supporting them."
Mrs Beckett indicated that she has pinned her hopes on a "broad and shallow" environment scheme proposed by the Curry Commission on the Future of Farming.
Food and Farming Minister Lord Whitty said he hoped the Treasury would help fund such a scheme to recognise the value farming has to the wider rural economy.
"One thing foot-and-mouth has shown is the devastating knock-on effect to other industries of shutting down the countryside."
Both ministers indicated that they are prepared to push through CAP reform unilaterally if other European countries do not co-operate with their plans.
Mrs Beckett and Lord Whitty want subsidies switched from food production towards environmental payments for farmers - a process known as modulation.
"We are encouraging everyone to behave radically, but 20% modulation is within even the French presidential approach," said Mrs Beckett.
But she admitted that prospects for more radical reform had suffered a setback after the recent US farm Bill that has raised subsidy payments to American farmers.
Despite persistent questioning, Mrs Beckett remained tight-lipped on the government’s forthcoming spending review due in July.
She said the amount of funding granted in the review would dictate how many of the Curry commission’s proposals could be adopted by her department.
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Business news
Subsidies must go - BeckettSource: FWi 15 May 2002
By Tom Allen-Stevens at Westminster
RURAL Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett has told an influential committee of MPs that farm subsidies must be abolished.
The government is committed to radical reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, she told the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.
Reform would be in the long-term interests of UK farmers, Mrs Beckett said on Wednesday (15 May).
The 12-strong group of MPs is considering the prospects for agriculture and land stewardship if farm subsidies were to end.
"We would like to see all subsidies phased out and removed over time," said Mrs Beckett, who was submitting evidence on the last day of the hearing.
"But we do recognise that farmers provide some services like environmental management that are public goods and the public should find some way of supporting them."
Mrs Beckett indicated that she has pinned her hopes on a "broad and shallow" environment scheme proposed by the Curry Commission on the Future of Farming.
Food and Farming Minister Lord Whitty said he hoped the Treasury would help fund such a scheme to recognise the value farming has to the wider rural economy.
"One thing foot-and-mouth has shown is the devastating knock-on effect to other industries of shutting down the countryside."
Both ministers indicated that they are prepared to push through CAP reform unilaterally if other European countries do not co-operate with their plans.
Mrs Beckett and Lord Whitty want subsidies switched from food production towards environmental payments for farmers - a process known as modulation.
"We are encouraging everyone to behave radically, but 20% modulation is within even the French presidential approach," said Mrs Beckett.
But she admitted that prospects for more radical reform had suffered a setback after the recent US farm Bill that has raised subsidy payments to American farmers.
Despite persistent questioning, Mrs Beckett remained tight-lipped on the government’s forthcoming spending review due in July.
She said the amount of funding granted in the review would dictate how many of the Curry commission’s proposals could be adopted by her department.
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