HC Deb 28 March 1984 vol 57 cc227-8W
Mr. Hume

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement in respect of the rates of grant which will apply to the extended less-favoured areas.

Mrs. Fenner

We intend in the coming weeks to introduce legislation which would provide higher rates of capital grants to farmers in the recently agreed additions to our less-favoured areas. The rates would be the same as those paid in the original LFAs and would apply to the same items, with the exception of roads, paths, grids, hardstandings, fords, bridges, culverts, railway crossings, creeps, piers, jetties and slips which would retain the lowland rates.

In the autumn we shall be consulting the farmers unions on the appropriate rates of hill livestock compensatory allowances to provide in the new LFAs. We envisage payments on beef cattle and sheep at approximately half the rates paid in the existing LFAs, although we shall take no firm decision on this until the autumn review is complete.