HC Deb 11 April 1940 vol 359 cc701-3
50. Mr. Lipson

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can state the total amount paid in subsidies to farmers in the last recorded year; and the number of individual recipients?

Sir R. Dorman-Smith

As the answer involves a number of figures, I will, with

Subsidies paid to Farmers in 1938 and 1939 from Votes accounted for by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, with the estimated number of individual recipients in each year.
Service. 1938. 1939.
Expenditure (actual). Estimated number of recipients. Expenditure (approximate). Estimated number of recipients.
£ £
Cattle—Payments to producers … … 4,291,230 106,000 3,942,500 106,000
Milk—Payments in respect of milk used for manufacture and quality milks and for increasing the demand for milk.(b) 557,209 —(a) 2,303,400 —(a)
Land Fertility Improvement—Contributions towards cost of acquiring and transporting lime and basic slag. 1,322,698 165,000 1,117,000 140,000
Oats and Barley Subsidy—Payments to occupiers.(b) 80,224 75,000 2,528,000 163,000
Ploughing Grants—Payments to occupiers.(b) — — 847,900 35,000
Total … … … 6,251,361 — 10,738,800 —
(a) Payment in respect of milk is made to the Milk Marketing Board.
(b) Excluding Scotland for which provision is made on a separate Vote accounted for by the Department of Agriculture for Scotland.
General Note.
Deficiency payments to registered growers of wheat are made by the Wheat Commission not from public funds but from the Wheat Fund. The amount paid in respect of sales in the cereal year 1938–39 (ended 31st July, 1939) was £9,290,935.
52. Mr. Barnes

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give up-to-date figures relating to subsidies under the following heads: complete derating of agricultural land, sugar subsidy and remission of excise, subsidy in respect of milk and milk products, land fertility improvement payments, cattle and sheep

the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the Official Report.

Mr. Lipson

Can my right hon. and gallant Friend say whether that amount is likely to be exceeded in the current year?

Sir R. Dorman-Smith

No, Sir, not at present.

Mr. Davidson

Is the Minister aware that the farmers are dissatisfied with the amount that they are now receiving?

Mr. Kirkwood

Will the right hon. and gallant Gentleman see to it that the landowners are not allowed to increase rents during the war and for five years afterwards?

Following is the answer:

subsidy, wheat, oats and barley subsidies, bacon subsidies, and land drainage grants?

Sir R. Dorman-Smith

As the answer involves a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the Official Report.

Following is the answer:

Subsidies and Land Drainage Grants paid from Votes accounted for by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in 1938 and 1939.
Service. 1938 (Actual). 1939 (Approximate).
£ £
Sugar—manufactured from home grown beet (a) … … 1,753,270 2,651,700
Sugar—rebate of taxation … … … … … 1,319,000 (b) No information
Milk—payments in respect of milk used for manufacture and quality milks and for increasing the demand for milk (c). 557,209 2,303,400
Cattle—payments to producers … … … … … 4,921,230 3,94,500
Sheep—payments to producers … … … … … nil nil
Land Fertility Improvement—contributions towards cost of acquiring and transporting lime and basic slag. 1,322,698 1,117,000
Oats and Barley Subsidy—payments to occupiers (c) … 80,224 2,528,000
Bacon Industry—payments in respect of pigs sold on long contracts and made into bacon(d). nil 77,000(net)
Ploughing Grants—Payments to occupiers (c) … … nil 847,900
Land Drainage Grants—payments to Drainage Authorities (c) (d). 252,882 303,500
(a) Great Britain only—no payments to Northern Ireland.
(b) The amount represents the difference between the amount of duty received on sugar manufactured in Great Britain from home grown beet and the amount of duty which would have been received had duty been charged on a similar quantity of British refined sugar of foreign origin.
(c) Excluding Scotland for which provision is made on a Vote accounted for by the Department of Agriculture for Scotland.
(d) Not applicable to Northern Ireland.
General Notes.
(1) Deficiency payments to registered growers of wheat are made by the Wheat Commission not from public funds but from the Wheat Fund (Wheat Act, 1932). The amount so paid in respect of sales in the cereal year 1938–39 (ended 31st July, 1939) was£9,290,935.
(2) It is not possible to express in terms of money the benefit which agriculture has derived from derating during the above periods. The amount included in the block grant in respect of the year 1928–29 on the basis of benefit to agriculture in that year totalled approximately £10,800,000.