§ Mr. David Howellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give the figures for the most recent convenient period for the decline in the number of farms in the United Kingdom and for the decline in the number of farms of less than 100 acres.
§ Mr. MacGregorBetween 1978 and 1982 the net reduction in the number of holdings in the United Kingdom was 2,999 (1.1 per cent) after making due allowance for minor holdings not included in the annual agricultural censuses. During this period the number of farms with less than 40 hectares (99 acres) fell by 1,749 (1.1 per cent).