49. Lieutenant-Colonel Dowerasked the Minister of Agriculture what are the losses suffered by hill sheep farmers due to the abnormally bad winter conditions; and whether, in view of the time which must necessarily elapse before the agricultural fund now being raised on a voluntary basis is completed, advance payments will be made by His Majesty's Government in cases of urgency.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsOf the estimated total of more than 4,000,000 sheep and lambs lost in Great Britain, it is estimated that the losses of hill sheep and lambs are of the order of 3,000,000, representing a value of about £5½ million. I understand that provisional payments from the Agricultural Disaster Fund to meet urgent cases will be authorised as soon as sufficient information is available to enable this to be done. Farmers can also apply for advance payments in respect of next year's hill sheep subsidy.
Lieutenant-Colonel DowerWill the Minister, while appreciating the very grave losses suffered, also recognise that in a number of cases the question of immediate help is of vital importance? In such cases, if help came later, it might not really be of any value because the men concerned might have been put out of business.
§ Mr. WilliamsThat is why immediate steps were taken, and are being taken, to deal with the matter.