Mr. Steve Aiken:

It is not so much a question of land being taken out of use; it is a question of the location of the land. In the south-east of England, the corridors of the M11, the M4, the M40 leading down to the M3, are areas of considerable economic growth. The south-east of England area, the Birmingham and Manchester areas are experiencing considerable economic growth. They are not in recession. Many Irish companies are tapping into those areas. This economic growth means there is a shortage of building land with the result that land is being rezoned. There is also a policy for biofuels and land is needed for production. Future changes in the Common Agricultural Policy and milk subsidies means that farming in the UK is changing shape.

There has been a significant move towards artisan and organic foods in the British market. This is an opportunity for Irish farmers. Speaking as a farmer, organic land is not as productive as heavily farmed land and this is having a significant effect.