UK training attack

31 January 1997

UK training attack

COMMISSION officials have attacked the government for failing to take up funding for the training of farmers involved in agri-environment schemes.

Frank Fay, spokesman for the commissions agri-environmental programme, said the UK was the only member state not to have implemented education and training or pilot demonstration farms.

The Scottish Office says it is launching a training policy within its new countryside premium scheme.

Reinhard Priebe, head of the ECs agri-environment programme, told MPs that European member nations spent nearly 4% of the CAP budget on a total of 117 agri-environment schemes in 1995/6.

But he said the commission was unhappy with monitoring and inspection of the schemes. &#42