Farm Workers

HC Deb 16 February 1981 vol 999 cc71-2W

Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many farm workers there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years; and how many of them were dairymen.

Mr. Adam Butler

The numbers of male and female regular farm workers at the June census in each year were:

	1978	1979	1980
Hired workers
(part-time and full-time)	4,770	4,580	4,290
Family workers*
(pan-time and full-time)	10,030	9,610	9,420

The number of workers employed specifically as dairymen is not known but the numbers of workers on farms on which "dairying" is the predominant enterprise were:

	1978	1979	1980
Hired workers
(part-time and full-time)	1,050	1,050	1,000
Family workers*
(part-time and full-time)	2,750	2,750	2.700
* Excludes owners, partners and directors and their spouses.