The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), National Farmers Union, Tenant Farmers Association, National Sheep Association and National Trust, have agreed that the proposal  to divide England into two regions will have negative consequences that could be alleviated by an adjustment to that decision.

Forum Response: Country Land and Business Association

Richard Jarman, spokesman for the CLA told ePolitix.com: "We hope that this joint initiative will be taken seriously by Margaret Beckett.

"We hope we can find a solution to alleviate all the problems we have identified".

Forum Response: National Farmers Union

A spokesperson for the National Farmers Union said:" The group felt that the proposal announced on February 12 to divide England into two regions separated by the Severely Disadvantaged Area (SDA) line will have negative consequences that could be alleviated by the creation of three regions.

"It was felt that in important areas, the future of industry in the SDAs and the communities they serve would be in jeopardy.

"The group has proposed that England should be divided using the Moorland line and the SDA line as boundaries to create three regions; lowland non-SDA, upland SDA to the Moorland line and the moorlands above the line.

"In addition, there should be a guaranteed minimum payment, before deductions, so that the full Rural Area Payment would be no less than £150 per hectare in the upland SDA region and £30 per hectare in the moorland region.

"All parties to the agreement have worked hard to try to present a unified proposal to the secretary of state."