Regulation 7 Rates of payment

(1)

Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) and to regulations 8 and 9, payments of hill farm allowance in respect of the descriptions of eligible forage area specified in column 1 of Schedule 1 shall be made—

(a)

in relation to the first 350 hectares of eligible forage area in respect of which the claim is made, at the rates specified in column 2 of Schedule 1;

(b)

in relation to the next 350 hectares of eligible forage area in respect of which the claim is made, at one half of the rates specified in column 2 of Schedule 1.

(2)

Subject to regulation 4(1)(b), if the notional livestock density is less than 1.0, the payment shall be increased by 20%.

(3)

Except where paragraph (2) applies, the total amount payable to a claimant shall be increased by 10% if the claimant satisfies any one of the following criteria, and by 20% if he satisfies any two or more such criteria—

(a)

the claimant is a registered organic farmer;

(b)

the claimant—

(i)

in the year 2000, submitted applications for both sheep annual premium and suckler cow premium; and

(ii)

the number of suckler cows in respect of which he applied for suckler cow premium in that year is equal to at least 15% of the relevant animals;

(c)

the notional livestock density is less than 1.2;

(d)

at least one hectare, or 5% (whichever is the smaller), of the claimant’s eligible land is planted with arable crops or woodland in respect of which the claimant is not receiving any other financial support and was not converted from permanent pasture after the year 1998.