Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 10:15 pm on 18 May 1999.
In justice and fairness to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker), he emphasised the increased regulatory costs that bear heavily on farmers in an area that is not prosperous in terms of the soil or the land that is farmed. Part of the land is designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty, which is a difficult problem for the farmers. The dairy industry suffers strongly from the attack that has been made on its relationship with Milk Marque, which the hon. Gentleman mentioned. Those matters are specific to the area.