Hill Farm Allowance Regulations 2003 (S.I. No. 289 of 2003).

These Regulations implement in England Commission Regulation 1750/1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation 1257/1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGFF) and amending and repealing certain Regulations. They also implement Chapter 9 of the England Rural Development Programme approved by the Commission (Commission Decision No. C(2000) 3003) under Article 44 of the Council Regulation. In particular they implement Articles 13, 14 and 15 of the Council Regulation (which deal with support for less favoured areas) by defining the conditions of eligibility for hill farm allowance (regs. 3-6) and the rates at which it is to be paid (regs. 7-8 and Schedule 1). Regulation 10 and Schedule 3 enable the Minister, in respect of holdings that are situated partly in England and partly in Scotland, to arrange for her functions under these Regulations to be exercised on her behalf by the Scottish Ministers and to agree to exercise any corresponding functions on their behalf, and to set off sums payable as principal against sums recoverable as agent, and vice versa. They also provide for the apportionment of eligible forage area and livestock units in relation to such holdings