HC Deb 24 October 1984 vol 65 cc638-9W
Mr. Foulkes

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, of those farmers who have been accepted under the outgoers scheme how many have asked for payment (a) as loss of profits and (b) as capital.

Mr. MacGregor

Those who have now been given the chance to become outgoers will indicate the sort of payment they have chosen, when they submit their claims for payment. To date very few claims have been received and so no meaningful analysis can yet be made of the numbers applying for each type of payment.

Mr. Foulkes

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the total quota the milk, made available by those who have applied under the outgoers scheme, represents; and what criteria the Government have used to decide which cases to accept under the scheme.

Mr. MacGregor

Producers who have expressed an interest in becoming outgoers account for just over 9 per cent. of the total England and Wales quota though it is to be expected that by no means all would in the event decide to go ahead if and when a firm offer is made to them. As the scheme is over-subscribed, priority is being given to small producers most dependent on dairying (those with less than 200,000 litres of quota). We have excluded a small number of producers for whom milk is a relatively small part of their enterprise.

Mr. Foulkes

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy toward those dairy farmers who had applied under the outgoers scheme but have been rejected; and whether they will be given time to apply for special case consideration.

Mr. MacGregor

None of those who have made valid applications within the terms of the scheme have yet been rejected. Besides those currently being invited to join the scheme others may eventually be given the chance to join depending on how many in the first tranche of offers decide not to go ahead. All those who have applied to be outgoers have, like all other milk producers, been able to apply at the same time for special case consideration and many have done so.