§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of part-time (1) farm workers and (ii) farmers in(a) less-favoured areas, (b) severely disadvantaged areas and (c) disadvantaged areas in each year since 1985.
§ Mr. David HuntReadily available information requested is shown in the following tables. The figures exclude the numbers of farmers or farm workers on minor holdings of less than 6 hectares, in which there is no regular full-time farmer or worker, in which the labour input is less than 100 standard man days per year and in which glasshouse area is less than 100 sq m.
Number of part-time farmers, partners and directors in less favoured areas of Wales Less favoured areas of which: severely disadvantaged Disadvantaged 19851 3,639 — — 1986 6,072 4,472 1,600 1987 5,446 3,947 1,499 1988 5,989 4,245 1,744 1989 6,383 4,477 1,906 1990 6,147 4,217 1,930 1991 6,251 4,246 2,005 1992 6,996 4,693 2,303
Number of part-time family and hired workers in less favoured areas of Wales Less favoured areas of which: severely disadvantaged Disadvantaged 19851 1,512 — — 1986 2,627 1,859 768 1987 2,649 1,891 758 1988 2,591 1,832 759 1989 2,439 1,718 721 1990 2,597 1,837 760 1991 2,620 1,832 788 1992 2,702 1,979 723 1 Data for 1985 are based on classification prior to the 1984 extension of the less favoured areas and are not comparable with other years.
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (i) farm workers and (ii) farmers in(a) 485W less-favoured areas, (b) severely disadvantaged areas and (c) disadvantaged areas who (x) also did other jobs or (y) claimed income support in each year since 1985.
§ Mr. David HuntThe following table shows, for 1985, 1987 and 1990 the number of farmers—occupiers—and other family workers on main holdings in less-favoured areas who had other paid work. Data are available only for these years as the source is the EC farm structure survey which is held every two or three years. Separate figures for severely disadvantaged and disadvantaged areas are not available for 1985. There is no information on farmers or farm workers claiming income support.
Number1 of persons with other paid work on main holdings within the less favoured areas of Wales Occupiers2 (thousands) Other family workers3 (thousands) 1985 Total LFA 3.19 3.72 1987 DA 1.15 1.72 SDA 3.03 4.16 Total LFA 4.18 5.88 1990 DA 1.37 1.71 SDA 3.34 3.70 Total LFA 4.71 5.41 1 Sample data only. Figures are subject to sampling error. 2 Only occupiers who are also manager of the holding. 3 Other family workers include the occupier's spouse and other workers related to the occupier. Data are not available for non-family hired workers.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many regular full-time hired farm workers are employed on farm holdings in the severely disadvantaged areas according to the most recent figures for each year since 1978.
§ Mr. David HuntThe information requested is shown in the following table:
Number of regular full-time hired farm workers in the severely disadvantaged areas of Wales Year 1978 1,237 1979 1,162 1980 1,134 1981 1,214 1982 1,202 1983 1,221 1984 1,105 1985 1,090 1986 1,291 1987 1,198 1988 1,194 1989 1,133 1990 1,040 1991 1,018 1992 977 Source: June Agricultural Census.
Note: Between 1985 and 1986 the method of classification of holdings used in the June Agricultural Census was changed. Consequently, the information for 1978 to 1985 is not comparable with later years.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the level of indebtedness486W amongst mostly sheep farmers and sheep and beef farmers, respectively, in the severely disadvantaged areas for each year since 1978.
§ Mr. David HuntThe information is as follows:
487W
Wales Severely disadvantaged areas Sheep farms Cattle and sheep farms 1978–79 1— 1— 1979–80 External liabilities 2— £8,607 Total assets 2— £122,511 External liabilities/ total assets 2— 7.0 Per cent 1980–81 External liabilities 2— £11,450 Total assets 2— £132,604 External liabilities/ total assets 2— 8.6 Per cent 1981–82 External liabilities 2— £13,604 Total assets 2— £166,968 External liabilities/ total assets 2— 8.1 Per cent 1982–83 External liabilities 2— £15,411 Total assets 2— £209,427 External liabilities/ total assets 2— 7.4 Per cent 1983–84 External liabilities 2— £13,692 Total assets 2— £234,804 External liabilities/ total assets 2— 5.8 Per cent 1984–85 External liabilities 2— £17,679 Total assets 2— £209,667 External liabilities/ total assets 2— 8.4 Per cent 1985–86 External liabilities 2— £30,372 Total assets 2— £209,667 External liabilities/ total assets 2— 11.7 Per cent 1986–87 External liabilities 2— £30,401 Total assets 2— £261,417 External liabilities/ total assets 2— 11.6 Per cent 1987–88 External liabilities £37,252 £38,115 Total assets £335,061 £319,436 External liabilities/ total assets 11.1 11.9 Per cent 1988–89 External liabilities £29,037 £22,183 Total assets £314,533 £322,743 External liabilities/ total assets 9.2 6.9 Per cent 1989–90 External liabilities £31,020 £30,708 Total assets £359,618 £359,414 External liabilities/ total assets 8.6 8.5
Severely disadvantaged areas Sheep farms Cattle and sheep farms 1990–91 External liabilities £35,438 £41,964 Total assets £400,111 £374,002 External liabilities/ total assets 8.9 11.2 Per cent 1991–92 External liabilities £37,022 £35,599 Total assets £365,304 £369,665 External liabilities/ total assets 10.1 9.6 1—Information not available. 2—Sample of farms too small to provide reliable information.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales according to the most recent figures for each year since 1978, how many farmers within less-favoured areas designated severely disadvantaged receive a level of farm income at or below the level at which a family of two adults and two children of school ages 13 and 17 could expect to be entitled to family credit at the current rates.
§ Mr. David HuntFarm income is not directly comparable with the measure of income used for determining eligibility for family credit. The average farm income does not represent disposable income, it is declared before payment of interest but assumes rent is paid on the holding irrespective of its tenure. It includes an allowance for changes in the value of trading stocks but is net of depreciation. Payments of family credit also take account of family savings and information on the savings of farmers relative to their incomes is not available. It is therefore not possible to provide the information requested.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes there have been in the proportion of mostly sheep and sheep and beef farmers in severely disadvantaged areas in relation to the number of mostly sheep farmers and sheep and beef farmers in total for Wales since 1978; and if he will chart the change.
§ Mr. David HuntThe information requested is shown in the following table:
Holdings of the type mostly sheep1 and sheep and beef2 in the severely disadvantaged areas as a percentage of all holdings of these
types in Wales
1978 75 1979 73 1980 72 1981 74 1982 73 1983 72 1984 69 1985 68
488W
ESA Total area (ha) Annual Payments (£) 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 Cambrian mountains (original) 72,800 21,864 310,292 366,339 476,882 613,130 Cambrian mountains (extension) 80,200 — — 111,488 120,723 493,422 Lleyn peninsula 39,700 — 64,066 227,661 284,102 351,867
per cent. 1986 73 1987 72 1988 70 1989 70 1990 71 1991 69 1992 70 1 EC type 441. 2 EC type 442. Source: June Agricultural Census.
Note: Between 1985 and 1986 the method of classification of holdings used in the June Agricultural Census was changed. Consequently, the information for 1978 to 1985 is not comparable with later years.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many farmers were in receipt of hill livestock compensatory allowances in the severely disadvantaged areas according to the most recent figures for each year since 1978.
§ Mr. David HuntThe information is as follows:
Number 1978 10,907 1979 10,855 1980 10,888 1981 10,880 1982 10,848 1983 10,773 1984 10,742 1985 10,749 1986 10,745 1987 10,745 1988 10,747 1989 10,760 1990 10,860 1991 10,742 1992 110,621 1 Provisional.