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Common Agricultural Policy Single Payment and Support Schemes (Cross-compliance) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2006

My Lords, I thank the Minister for her response and I am grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken with regard to this statutory instrument. I am also grateful to the Minister because I know that this is a very full statutory instrument to consider. She said that the cost of £1.6 billion would be borne by Defra. In that equation she did not—which was perhaps an oversight—acknowledge the farmer’s time that goes into reading, complying and adjusting. For those of us who employ farm secretaries, we know how they have to get everything right; otherwise those payments are jeopardy. She also suggested that no new work was involved, but paragraph 6, ““Soil Protection Review””, is now 70 per cent longer than its equivalent. Obviously, there is new work. She said that the RPA would do the inspections, which I am glad to have clarified, and that the Environment Agency would have inspectors too. I am not asking for a response today. Clearly, the Minister has done very well.