§ Mr. WhittingdaleTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms are currently classed as containing both severely disadvantaged area and non-severely disadvantaged area land. [168032]
§ Alun MichaelWe currently do not classify farm businesses in the way requested. However, in 2003, 8,261 farmers claimed Hill Farm Allowance on both severely disadvantaged and disadvantaged (i.e. non-severely-disadvantaged) land. Holdings of less than 10 hectares are excluded from HFA, and so are not included in this figure. Neither would it include farm businesses with severely disadvantaged land and land ineligible for HFA, but no disadvantaged land.