§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his latest estimate of the aggregate annual cost to the Exchequer per hill farmer of all forms of financial assistance for upland farming and the average pre-tax ret income of hill fanners, following the uprating of subsidies now before the House.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerSpecific help is provided to the hill farmers by the Exchequer in the form of the hill livestock allowances. The estimated cost hi 1980–81 is £86.5 million, of which the cost to the Exchequer is £64.9 million. There are 52,000 farmers who benefit from this scheme. Hill farmers will also benefit from the suckler cow premium, which is wholly financed by the European Community, and, where eligible, from the farm capital grant schemes.
After the sharp drop in hill farm incomes that nook place in 1979, hill farm incomes in Scotland and Northern Ireland have fallen further. In England and Wales they have risen, but throughout the United Kingdom they are still well below the 1978–79 level. I cannot forecast what income levels will be in 1981 following the increase of £12 million in the hill farm subsidies.