HC Deb 30 November 1987 vol 123 cc382-3W
Mrs. Margaret Ewing

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in theOfficial Report the average selling price per acre of agricultural land in Scotland in each of the past 10 years.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

The information required is shown in the following table. The data are for equipped farms with vacant possession, sub-divided between hill and upland type farms and other farms.

Hill and upland type farms £/hectare Other farms £/hectare
1978 588 2,016
1979 1,189 3,034
1980 1,221 2,940
1981 1,241 2,548
1982 1,183 2,784
1983 1,408 3,018
Hill and upland type farms £/hectare Other farms £/hectare
1984 1,042 3,020
1985 1,024 2,568
1986 1578 2,130
21987 874 1,931
1 This figure results from an unusually large piece of land sold at a below average price.
2 To date.

Mrs. Margaret Ewing

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what record he has maintained of land which has been taken out of agricultural use in Scotland since 1979; if he will list in theOfficial Report the total average of land currently in agricultural use in Scotland; and what was the comparable amount in 1979.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

The annual June agricultural census provides information on land going out of agricultural use. Between 1979 and 1986 the total recorded was 125,500 hectares. The areas of land covered by the census in 1986 and 1979 respectively were 5,968 thousand hectares and 6,134 thousand hectares. The two series are not completely comparable for a variety of reasons, including corrections and remeasurements.