§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what was the average subsidy paid in the last financial year, on a per acre basis to farms smaller than 163 acres;
(2) what was the average subsidy paid in the last financial year, on a per acre basis, to farms larger than 163 acres;
(3) what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which farm size is an accurate basis for the allocation of financial subsidies;
(4) what was the average subsidy paid on a per acre basis to farms of 33 acres or less in the last financial year.
§ Mr. CurrySupport for farmers under the CAP is provided primarily through market prices; in some sectors direct subsidies to farmers also play a role. The level of support received by individual farmers will depend on factors such as the combination of enterprises on a particular holding and the level of output, and any estimate of average levels of support per acre would be of little relevance. For these reasons farm size on its own would not provide a satisfactory basis for determining levels of support.