§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many producers in England and Wales are entitled to hill livestock compensatory allowances; and what proportion of those are located in(a) severely disadvantaged areas and (b) disadvantaged areas.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardSome 30,000 producers in England and Wales are currently entitled to claim hill livestock compensatory allowances; of these about 22,000 farm either wholly or in part within the severely disadvantaged area and the remaining 8,000 farm either wholly or in part within the disadvantaged area and land outside the less-favoured area.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers in England and Wales were in receipt of hill livestock compensatory allowances in the severely disadvantaged areas according to the most recent figures for each year since 1978.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardPrecise annual figures covering this period are not available but the number of claimants paid each year under the hill livestock compensatory allowances scheme to farmers with holdings located either wholly or partially within the severely 799W disadvantaged area, or the corresponding area prior to the extension of the less-favoured areas in 1985, has risen slightly from about 20,700 in 1980 to 21,300 in 1992.