Rates of payment under agreement

6.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2) below, the Secretary of State shall make payments under an agreement at the rate of £22 per annum for each hectare of land to which the agreement relates.

(2) Where the area of land to which an agreement relates exceeds 20 hectares the Secretary of State shall make payments under the agreement for such land insofar as it exceeds 20 hectares at the following rates:—

(a)£17 per annum for each hectare of land which exceeds 20 hectares but which is less than 51 hectares;

(b)£10 per annum for each hectare of land which exceeds 50 hectares.

(3) Where an agreement includes land of the types to which paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 relates the Secretary of State shall, in addition to any payments made under paragraphs (1) and (2) above, make payments under an agreement for such land at the following rates:—

(a)£20 per annum for each hectare of unenclosed semi-natural rough grazings which do not include heather;

(b)£35 per annum for each hectare of enclosed semi-natural rough grazings which do not include heather, enclosed partially improved grassland or enclosed unimproved grassland;

(c)£35 per annum for each hectare of semi-natural rough grazings which include heather;

(d)£45 per annum for each hectare of wetland;

(e)£35 per annum for each hectare of hay meadow; and

(f)£18 per annum for each hectare of buffer zone.

(4) Where an agreement includes the additional provisions specified in Schedule 2 the Secretary of State shall, in addition to any payments made under paragraphs (1) to (3) inclusive above, make payments at the following rates—

(a)£20 per annum for each hectare of wetland and which under the agreement is subject to the additional provisions specified in paragraph 1 of Schedule 2;

(b)£70 per annum for each hectare of broadleaved woodland and which under the agreement is subject to the additional provision specified in sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 but is not subject to the additional provisions specified in sub-paragraphs (2) to (4) inclusive of paragraph 2 of that Schedule;

(c)£105 per annum for each hectare of broadleaved woodland and which under the agreement is subject to the additional provisions specified in paragraph 2 of Schedule 2;

(d)£25 per annum for each hectare of hay meadow and which under the agreement is subject to the additional provisions specified in paragraph 3 of Schedule 2;

(e)£20 per annum for each hectare of semi-natural rough grazings where heather forms at least 25 per cent but not more than 50 per cent of the vegetation cover and which under the agreement is subject to the additional provisions specified in paragraph 4 of Schedule 2;

(f)£90 per annum for each hectare of arable land which is suitable for the creation of conservation headlands and which under the agreement is subject to the additional provisions specified in paragraph 5 of Schedule 2;

(g)£50 per annum for each hectare of land which is suitable for reversion to semi-natural rough grazings and which under the agreement is subject to the additional provisions specified in paragraph 6 of Schedule 2;

(h)£85 per annum for each hectare of land which is suitable for reversion to hay meadow and which under the agreement is subject to the additional provisions specified in paragraph 7 of Schedule 2; and

(i)£80 per annum for each hectare of land which is suitable for reversion to wetland and which under the agreement is subject to the additional provisions specified in paragraph 8 of Schedule 2.

(5) Where an agreement includes the additional provisions specified in Schedule 3 the Secretary of State shall, in addition to any payments made under paragraphs (1) to (4) inclusive, make payments at the following rates—

(a)£5.50 per annum for each metre of a field boundary which is hedgerow per hectare; and

(b)£17 per annum for each metre of a field boundary which is a bank or a stone wall per hectare, a maximum number of hectares corresponding to the area of land subject to the provisions of Schedule 1.

(6) Subject to paragraph (7) below, where an agreement includes one or more of the conservation plan operations specified in Schedule 4, the Secretary of State shall also make payments, in respect of the aggregate of the operations so specified which are included in the agreement, at a rate not exceeding £120 per annum for each hectare of land to which the agreement relates.

(7) The payments under paragraph (6) above shall not exceed a maximum of £4,000 per agreement.