SMALL FARM (BUSINESS MANAGEMENT) SCHEME 1969 (Hansard, 10 July 1969)

§ LORD HILTON OF UPTON

My Lords, I beg to move, That the Draft Small Farm (Business Management) Scheme 1969, laid before the House on June 10 be approved. I trust that it will be convenient, when dealing with this Order, to deal also with the Small Farm (Business Management) (Scotland) Scheme 1969. As foreshadowed in the Annual Review White Paper last March, it is proposed to extend these Schemes for a further twelve months from September 1, 1969.

Your Lordships may wish to be reminded briefly of the terms of these Schemes, which are open to small farmers occupying holdings of between 20 and 125 acres and where the size of the farm business is between 250 and 600 standard man-days a year. A grant of up to a maximum of £1,000 is payable over a period of three years to a farmer who carries out an approved programme which is designed to increase the efficiency of his business. He must keep specified farm records, on which he can base future farm management decisions. Programmes may be either complete, providing for the attainment of objectives in each of the three years of participation as well as the maintaining of records; or basic, with provision for record keeping over the three years but objectives for the first year only. Most basic programmes are subsequently modified to include objectives for the second and third years after records for the first year become available.

The new Scheme is in all major respects the same as the present one. One change, following the Transfer of Functions (Wales) Order 1969, concerns the sharing of administration of the Scheme in Wales jointly by the Secretary of State for Wales and the Minister. In addition, the arrangements which were made last year to prevent a farmer from obtaining double grant, by participating simultaneously in the 1965 and the 1968 Schemes, have been extended to include the new Scheme. The response to the 1968 Scheme has been comparatively modest but at a steady rate. We hope that more small farmers will take the opportunity to join since we know that 1204 those who are taking part are learning a great deal, and that the efficiency of their businesses is being substantially increased.

In the debate last year the Government undertook, in response to a suggestion from the noble Lord, Lord Nugent, to see what could be done to publicise the Scheme by way of farm walks, and I am pleased to say that a number of open days of this kind have been arranged. Demonstrable evidence of the benefits of membership is one of the best means of encouraging neighbouring farmers to enter the Scheme. The future of the Scheme will be considered at next year's Annual Review in the light of progress made by that time. The extension of these Schemes has been welcomed by the Farmers' Unions. My Lords, I commend them for the approval of the House. I beg to move.