Viscountess Astorasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of breeding sheep for which the subsidy of 2s. 6d. per sheep grazed on hills was paid, during the last year of this subsidy; and the number for which it has been claimed since it was raised to 7s. 6d.?
Mr. JohnstonThe number of hill sheep for which subsidy at the 1941 rate of 2s. 6d. per head has been paid now amounts to 2,275,397. It is too early to say how many will qualify for the subsidy at the rate of 7s. 6d. per head since application forms are only just reaching the farmers concerned. As, however, the 75W basis Of payment of the new subsidy is the number of eligible sheep carried at 4th December, 1940, I have no reason to suppose that the final figure will be materially different from that of last year.