§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will explain how the notional yields of 3.32 tonnes per hectare for less-favoured area farmers and 5.17 tonnes per hectare for non less-favoured area farmers was calculated for the purposes of arable area payments in 1993–94;
(2) what historical information was available to his Department in calculating yields for the purpose of arable area payments for harvest year 1993–94; and what account was taken of it in calculating average yields;
(3) what were the wheat yields for each county in Wales in 1986 to 1992, sorted by seven-year average, according to the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service study received by his Department in January 1993;
(4) pursuant to his answer to the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) of 20 June, Official Report, column 38, what was the average cereal yield for (a) farms wholly within the less-favoured area and (b) farms wholly outside the less-favoured area for the years from 1986 to 1992; and how those figures were calculated.
§ Mr. RedwoodI will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether it is his policy that a single cereals region would be best for Wales for purposes of arable area payments.
§ Mr. RedwoodI accept that an England and Wales region would be best for Welsh cereal farmers, but this is not a decision that I can make on my own. All four Agriculture Ministers have to agree on the regionalisation plan and take into account the interests of growers throughout the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total amount to be paid to Welsh farmers in