
1 
These Regulations may be cited as the Agriculture Act 1986 (Amendment) Regulations 1997, shall come into force on 1st July 1997 and shall extend to Great Britain.
2 
In section 18 of the Agriculture Act 1986 (designation and management of environmentally sensitive areas), after subsection (4) there shall be inserted–“
(4A) Where the Minister considers it necessary for the purposes of Article 10 or 20 of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 746/96 (aid for agricultural production methods compatible with protection of the environment: combination of aids, and penalties), an agreement under subsection (3) may contain–
(a) provision requiring the payment of penalties to the Minister in the case of breach of the agreement, and
(b) provision for payments by the Minister to be withheld in specified circumstances.”.
Elliot Morley
Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
4th June 1997Sewel
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Scottish Office
4th June 1997