HC Deb 03 February 1993 vol 218 cc313-4
7. Mr. Davidson

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many farmers eligible for the hill livestock compensatory allowances there are within each district authority in the Strathclyde region.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Sir Hector Monro)

My Department's records of hill livestock compensation allowance recipients are held by parishes and the former counties. The total for Strathclyde is 2,825 for the 1992 scheme.

Mr. Davidson

Is the Minister aware that I received a letter from the Secretary of State for Scotland referring to the hill sheep subsidy which tells me, and I quote—

Madam Speaker

Order. I have to give a little guidance to the hon. Gentleman. Quoting during Question Time is not allowed. It would be helpful if he could simply summarise.

Mr. Davidson

I received a letter from the Secretary of State saying that there should be rejoicing among the hill sheep farmers of my constituency. Can the Minister tell me how many hill sheep farmers he believes there are in Glasgow, Govan? Can he tell me whether the letter was seen by the Secretary of State or whether a blank piece of paper á la Kynoch was signed by the Minister and submitted by a civil servant, perhaps by one of the guilty people in the clock across there?

The hill sheep farmers of Govan are the only people in Scotland I am aware of who support water privatisation. Will the Minister confirm that ewe after ewe is searching the hills of Govan—indeed, ewes are searching the whole of Scotland—seeking the green shoots of recovery but they cannot find them anywhere? Will the Minister confirm that sending that letter to me was an insult and that the section of the letter that tells me that larger numbers of people in Scotland on low incomes and no incomes have their incomes going down than have them going up is to be regretted, and will he consider resigning?

Sir Hector Monro

What a pathetic choice of quote. If the hon. Gentleman cannot do better than that, it is a disgrace to his party. Surely he is glad to know the exact position of hill sheep farmers in Scotland. We all know that it is a difficult place to make substantial profits—and of course there are sheep in Govan: I have seen them on football pitches and rugby pitches.

Mr. Kynoch

On a more serious note which affects hill farmers in Scotland, will my hon. Friend say what he projects a net farm income in a less-favoured area hill farm with sheep and cattle will be in 1993–94 and how would that compare with the average net farm income in 1988–89? Does he not agree that from such a low level of income the small increase achieved through the HLCAs and sheep annual premium adjustments is only a beginning and a first move in the right direction, upwards?

Sir Hector Monro

I am grateful for a sensible question from someone who knows something about hill farming. My hon. Friend realises that although we reduced the HLCA for sheep by £2.25, the sheep annual premium increased by £4.05, which represents a net change for the better of £1.80 and is certainly welcomed by hill sheep farmers in Scotland. I explained to the National Farmers Union last week that last year there was a 21 per cent. increase in income for less-favoured areas and 40 per cent. over the 1991 period. I am glad that the trend is in the right direction. I hope that with the substantial increase in the sheep annual premium this year, while maintaining the cattle amount of £63.30, incomes will continue to increase.

Mr. Foulkes

The Under-Secretary of State knows that there are a great many sheep farmers in Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley. He will recall that when David Purdie, the president of the National Farmers Union in Ayrshire, came along with all the hon. Members from Ayrshire to see him, he indicated that there would be no reduction in the hill livestock compensatory allowance. Will the Minister admit that he was overruled by the Minister of Agriculture and that this means that £20 million is coming out of the rural economy of Scotland, which will be devastating for all the rural areas? If he is to be told what to do by the Minister of Agriculture, is it not time the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland gave up and let someone else take over?

Sir Hector Monro

The hon. Gentleman is always very enthusiastic on behalf of his farmers. He will be glad to know that the sector that is doing best in farming at the present time is dairying. He knows that the figures that I have given relative to the increase in the overall position of the sheep annual premium and the HLCA are very favourable. An amount of £29.50 for each ewe on a hill farm is very significant indeed, and I welcome this trend. I accept that farming started from a relatively low base over the past few years, but things are improving and the hon. Gentleman should welcome that.