§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will apply flexibility in enforcing the closing date for the sheep annual premium, suckler cow premium and arable payments in cases of obvious hardship.
§ Mr. JackRules which apply to claims received after the closing dates both for individual schemes and for the area aid application, required under schemes covered by the integrated administration and control system, are laid down in EC legislation. The explanatory literature connected with all these schemes makes it clear that it is the farmer's responsibility to get the claims in by the due date. However, we will look sympathetically at cases where it is claimed that delay is the result of force majeure.
Averages of net farm income by type of farm in England1 Farm type Dairy Cattle and sheep (lowland) General cropping Cattle and sheep (LFA) 2£000s perfarm 3Index in real terms 2£'000s perfarm 3£Index in real terms 2£'000s perfarm 3Index in real terms 2£'000s perform 3index in real terms 1986–87 21.7 96 4.7 154 31.7 92 9.5 103 1987–88 25.5 113 8.5 278 12.1 35 12.8 139 1988–89 34.2 142 9.6 262 8.2 23 16.3 169 1989–90 28.6 121 6.0 129 31.3 120 10.8 112 1990–91 21.9 88 2.6 60 30.0 95 7.2 76 1991–92 23.2 91 5.0 112 27.3 85 9.1 112 41992–93 5— 5— 5— 5— 5— 5— 12.9 156 1 Sample averages for farms larger than 8 ESU. The system of classifying farms by type and size is set out in appendix 3 of "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom, 1991–92". 2 1992–1993 prices deflated by the retail prices index—all terms 3 1989/90–1991/92=100. 4 Provisional. 5 Some information on incomes on these types of farm will be published on 31 January. Source: "Farm Business Survey".