20EEC farm grants relating to areas of special scientific interest or National Parks etc.
(1)The provisions of this section shall have effect for the purpose of amending certain provisions of the [1981 c. 69.] Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which apply to grants under schemes made under section 29 of the [1970 c. 40.] Agriculture Act 1970 so as to apply them to certain agricultural grants under regulations made under section 2(2) of the [1972 c. 68.] European Communities Act 1972.
(2)In subsection (1) of section 32 of the said Act of 1981 (duties of agriculture Ministers to exercise functions so as to further conservation where applications are made to them for grants under such schemes with respect to areas of special scientific interest)—
(a)for the words "a grant under a scheme made under section 29 of the Agriculture Act 1970 (farm capital grants)" there shall be substituted the words "a farm capital grant"; and
(b)in paragraph (a) for the words "the scheme and section 29 of the said Act of 1970" there shall be substituted the words "the grant provisions".
(3)For subsection (3) of that section (definition of "the appropriate Minister") there shall be substituted—
“(3)In this section—
'the appropriate Minister' means the Minister responsible for determining the application;
'farm capital grant' means—
(a)a grant under a scheme made under section 29 of the Agriculture Act 1970; or
(b)a grant under regulations made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 to a person carrying on an agricultural business within the meaning of those regulations in respect of expenditure incurred or to be incurred for the purposes of or in connection with that business, being expenditure of a capital nature or incurred in connection with expenditure of a capital nature;
'grant provisions' means—
(i)in the case of such a grant as is mentioned in paragraph (a) above, the scheme under which the grant is made and section 29 of the Agriculture Act 1970; and
(ii)in the case of such a grant as is mentioned in paragraph (b) above, the regulations under which the grant is made and the Community instrument in pursuance of which the regulations were made.”.
(4)In subsection (3) of section 41 of the said Act of 1981 (which makes similar provision in relation to land which is in a National Park or an area specified for the purposes of that subsection)—
(a)for the words "a grant under a scheme made under section 29 of the Agriculture Act 1970 (farm capital grants)" there shall be substituted the words "a farm capital grant";
(b)in paragraph (a) for the words " the scheme and the said section 29 " there shall be substituted the words " the grant provisions ".
(5)In subsection (5) of the said section 41 (definitions) for the definitions of " agricultural business " and " the appropriate Minister " there shall be substituted—
“' agricultural business ' has the same meaning as in section 29 of the Agriculture Act 1970;
' the appropriate Minister ', ' farm capital grant ' and ' grant provisions ' have the same meanings as in section 32;”.
(6)For the definition of " farm capital grant " in subsection (4) of section 50 of that Act (payments under certain agreements offered by authorities where applications for grants under section 29 of the said Act of 1970 are refused) there shall be substituted—
“' farm capital grant ' has the same meaning as in section 32;”.