HC Deb 29 October 2001 vol 373 cc549-50W
Mr. Breed

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were employed in the agricultural industry in a(a) paid and (b) unpaid capacity, and (i) full-time and (ii) part-time (A) at the latest date for which figures are available and (B) in each of the last five years. [10451]

Mr. Morley

The latest information available for England is from the June 2000 Agricultural Census. Results for 2001 will be available later this year. The labour questions were changed in 1998 to allow more detailed information on full/part time and paid/unpaid labour to be collected. The available information is shown in the table.

Thousand head
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Total workers (England) 195.8 191.9 189.5 189.1 176.1 153.5
Salaried Managers1 6.7 6.9 6.9 10.9 12.1 9.9
Full-time n/a n/a n/a 8.7 9.4 8.1
Part-time n/a n/a n/a 2.2 2.7 1.8
Regular workers 126.0 124.2 122.5 120.2 110.8 96.9
Full-time 83.4 81.6 81.6 79.2 73.6 64.2
Paid n/a n/a n/a 76.6 72.1 62.9
Unpaid n/a n/a n/a 2.7 1.5 1.2
Part-time 42.5 42.6 41.9 41.0 37.2 32.7
Paid n/a n/a n/a 30.5 28.8 25.2
Unpaid n/a n/a n/a 10.5 8.4 7.5
Casual/gang 63.2 60.9 60.1 58.1 53.2 46.8
Full-time n/a n/a n/a 15.7 16.1 14.6
Part-time n/a n/a n/a 42.4 36.6 32.1
1From 1998 all farmers managing holdings for limited companies were asked to classify themselves as salaried managers.

Notes:

1. In 1998 fundamental change, were introduced to the labour questions. It appears that this change may have led to the recording of additional labour not previously included in the census returns. The change in questions has also led to a redistribution of labour between the various categories, most notably for salaried managers. Caution is therefore advised when comparing the 1997 and 1998 results.

2. Part-time is defined as 39 hours or less.

3. Figures exclude school children but include trainees employed under an official youth training scheme and paid at Agricultural Wages Board rates or above.

4. Includes minor holdings.