Explanatory note

This scheme, which is made under section 106(1) of the Agriculture Act 1970, enables incentive payments to be made in connection with the eradication of brucellosis from beef herds in the United Kingdom, both inside and outside eradication areas.

The payments will take the place of the differential payments hitherto made under hill cattle and beef cow schemes, as these latter expire. They will be supplemental to payments under the new hill cattle and beef cow schemes, and there is no change in either the amounts or the terms of the incentive payments. This scheme does however define the periods for which incentive payments may be made, i.e. for approximately five years following accreditation in Great Britain and for approximately two years following certification in Northern Ireland.

The scheme does not apply to herds eligible for incentive payments under the Brucellosis Payments Scheme 1971, by which the owner of a herd in an eradication area in Great Britain can receive payments from the commencement of eradication until approximately one year after accreditation.

The scheme also enables the appropriate Minister to make up hill cattle and beef cow subsidy payments which are reduced as a result of animals being slaughtered for brucellosis and not replaced by the date on which they would have qualified. Consequential reductions in incentive payments made under this scheme or under the Brucellosis Payments Scheme 1971 can also be made good.