Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department has issued on maintenance of hedges (a) during the summer months and (b) at other times of the year.

We have not issued any new hedgerow maintenance guidance this year. Existing hedgerow maintenance guidance can be found on the ‘Hedgelink’ website at http://www.hedgelink.org.uk/hedgerow-management.htm

For famers claiming Single Payment Scheme under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the ‘Guide to Cross Compliance in England’ is issued in December for the following year. The August CAP leaflet sent to farmers indicated our intention to extend the annual hedge cutting ban by one month to 31st August. Final guidance on all cross compliance rules for 2015 will be issued in December.