§ Mr. Parrisasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the funding of the farm aid package for Northern Ireland.
§ Dr. BoysonMy right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced on 28 November at columns 1033–41, details of a package giving increased rates of hill livestock compensatory allowances and emergency aid to livestock farmers affected by the exceptionally severe weather earlier this year.
The total aid package amounts to £25.3 million of additional expenditure in the United Kingdom: £20 million will be a charge on the reserve, with the balance of £5.3 million being found from offsetting savings in the agriculture and territorial programmes. The package will not therefore lead to an increase in public expenditure. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced on 28 November that Northern Ireland farmers would benefit by £5.5 million.
267WThe contribution from Northern Ireland to the offsetting savings of £5.3 million referred to above is some £0.5 million. This amount has been found from savings from various sources in the agriculture cash limit programme. The cash limit for Northern Ireland departmental services MD 1 will be reduced by £0.5 million from £2,189.2 million to £2,188.7 million.