HL Deb 17 April 1985 vol 462 cc794-6WA
Baroness White

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the total amount of grant paid under the farm capital grant schemes in the original Less Favoured Areas of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively in each of the last seven years, for agricultural operations falling within the definition:

  1. (a) land clearance and reclamation;
  2. (b) grassland regeneration; and
  3. (c) reseeding of grassland.

TABLE A
Grant paid on land clearance and reclamation work
Calendar years £s
1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
Northern Ireland 352,080 512,013 795,993 722,605 1,304,464 1,608,864 2,438,323
Wales 47,038 50,693 78,822 62,187 95,038 147,621 201,758
Scotland 282,353* 329,594* 328,850* 410,037 394,642 471,359 468,200
England 36,700 31,300 48,000 39,400 78,200 92,200 110,200

TABLE B
Grant paid on grassland regeneration and reseeding, including fertilising and liming
Calendar years £s
1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
Northern Ireland 2,644,313 2,962,021 3,446,125 2,827,494 5,493,379 7,078,663 3,872,578
Wales 1,334,438 1,348,322 1,961,638 1,529,643 2,394,458 2,415,904 2,733,578
Scotland 3,706,191* 3,667,433* 5,155,355* 4,537,923 6,331,642 6,455,944 4,675,229
England 1,490,500 1,538,200 1,755,000 1,307,700 2,137,700 2,293,400 2,929,300
*Includes grants paid outside the less favoured areas under the farm capital grant scheme.

Lord Belstead

Table A below provides the information requested at (a) for the seven calendar years to 1984. I regret that the information sought at (b) and (c) is not available in the form requested. Grassland regeneration may include reseeding and also liming and fertilizing and the operations are not recorded separately, but Table B below shows the grant paid on all of them together.