Mr. W. H. K. Bakerasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the total cost of agricultural support as set out in Command Paper No. 4321 he estimates will be received by hill farmers in Scotland; and how this compares with each of the three previous years.
§ Mr. Ross:No precise estimates can be made. Payments in Scotland in respect of hill cattle, hill and upland sheep and winter keep subsidies and hill and livestock rearing land improvement grants are estimated to amount to £ 12.1 million in 1970–71 before taking account of the effect of the 1970 review determinations; for 1967–68, 1968–69 and 1969–70 the corresponding figures were £ 10.0 million, £ 10.6 million and £ 11.5 million respectively. Hill farmers also benefit directly from the increased production grants and subsidies in respect of fertilisers, lime, drainage, etc., and from the increased guaranteed prices for sheep and cattle as well as indirectly from the effect of fat-stock guarantees on store stock prices.