§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many dairy herds there are in Scotland; and how many of these are of more than 15 head.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellAt 4th June last year there were 8,192 holdings in Scotland with dairy cows. It is estimated that 4,850 holdings had more than 15 dairy cows each.
§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals the EEC Commission has put to the Council of Ministers for conversion of dairy-cow herds to beef production; what effect this would have on the Scottish farming community; and if he will make a statement about his policy on this matter.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellThe proposals provide for payments to dairy farmers who undertake to convert their herds from milk to beef production. They are aimed at the small-scale dairy producer, 123W and for that reason I would not expect them to have much impact in Scotland where the bulk of the dairy herd is in efficient medium or large-scale units. The hon. Member should await the outcome of the current Council of Ministers' negotiations which include these conversion premia for milk herds.