§ Mr. J. MacLeodasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what grants are available to aid farmers in outlying farms to make electricity connections with their farms.
Mr. McNeilThere are no special grants available to assist farmers to install electricity. An electricity supply can, however, be grant-aided as part of a comprehensive scheme of improvement carried out in terms of the Hill Farming Act, 1946, or the Livestock Rearing Act, 1951.
§ Mr. J. MacLeodasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications have been made for grants to aid 268W farmers in outlying areas to get connection with electricity supplies from the main supply.
Mr. McNeilThere are no special grants available to assist farmers to install electricity. An electricity supply can, however, be grant-aided as part of a comprehensive scheme of improvement carried out in terms of the Hill Farming Act, 1946, or the Livestock Rearing Act, 1951.
One hundred and forty-nine of the 400 improvement schemes which have so far been formally approved include proposals for electricity at an estimated total cost of£75,170, one half of which will be repayable by way of grant. For the most part, these proposals relate to connections to a public supply but where there appears to be little likelihood that a public supply will become available within a reasonable period, approval is given to schemes involving private generating plants.