§ 5. Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what new procedures have been devised to obviate the risk of over-payment of ploughing grants, as happened in 1958–59; and whether he is satisfied that no such overpayment is now taking place.
§ Mr. LeburnMy right hon. Friend has made arrangements for ploughing grant claims under this year's scheme to be checked against cereal deficiency claims in earlier years. This should, I think, obviate the particular risk to which the hon. Member refers, but my right hon. Friend will, of course, review the position in the light of any comments which the Public Accounts Committee may make on the Comptroller and Auditor General's report on this matter.
§ Mr. HamiltonDoes the hon. Gentleman not think it quite scandalous that this should have occurred at all? Can he 859 indicate the approximate sum that was involved in 1958–59 and the comparable sum for 1959–60?
§ Mr. LeburnWe are taking all possible steps to make this scheme complete and watertight. As for the figures for which the hon. Member asks, the amount of wrong payment was £11,751 5s., of which £11,385 has been recovered to date.