15. Lord Hamiltonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now review the scale of incentive in the Farm Amalgamation Act, 1967.
§ Mr. MackieWe have increased the rate of grant under the Farm Amalgamations and Boundary Adjustments Scheme to 60 per cent. for the next two years, and the scheme will be made more attractive by the proposals in the Agriculture Bill, particularly the reduction from 40 to 15 years in the period for which the amalgamated unit must be kept together and in agricultural use.
Lord HamiltonWould the hon. Gentleman not agree that the response to this scheme has been disappointing and that, owing to inflation running at supersonic speed, the so-called " golden handshake " has dwindled in value to a meagre handshake, which will have no appeal to the outgoing farmer?
§ Mr. MackieNo, Sir; that is not the case. There have been about 3,500 applications in the United Kingdom; in Northern Ireland there were 270 amalgamations and 227 payments to outgoers. We did not get the supersonic speed which the hon. Gentleman would like, but we hope the new conditions will help.
§ Mr. Peter M. JacksonWhen the Bill was introduced in 1967, were any projections made of the trend in amalgamations over the succeeding three, four or five 1225 years? Have these expectations been met by the scales which were then introduced?
§ Mr. MackieNo projections were made. There were two reasons for the scheme—first, to increase amalgamations and, second, to help people who wanted to retire. There has been a tremendous amount of help, particularly to elderly people, to get out of the industry.