I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 54 and 146 together. A review of the scheme for the control of farm pollution has been completed. The results of this were announced by me on 6 September last. Following this review adequate financing is now being made available, over the next few years, for payments to be made in respect of all 18,500 applications received under the scheme.
The new funding arrangements involve the use of the overall inflator under the operational programme, an internal transfer of some funds from another element of the operational programme and the bringing forward of substantial funds, already available in the operational programme, into 1996 and 1997 from later years. This will result in the funds previously earmarked for the scheme, in those two years, being increased from about £20 million to £60 million.
In addition and with a view to speeding up the processing of applications new procedures are being introduced. Under these each applicant is being given up to six months to submit detailed drawings of the proposed developments together with a list of existing farm facilities or, where appropriate, local authority planning approval.