HC Deb 29 January 1958 vol 581 cc78-80W
Mr. Whitelaw

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give further details concerning the estimates of the agricultural subsidies for the United Kingdom for the purpose of Supplementary Estimates dated 22nd January, 1958, with comparable figures for the preceding year.

Mr. John Hare

Following are particulars of the latest estimates of the cost of agricultural support in the financial year 1957–58 for which provisions have been made in the Civil Estimates, Class VI11, Votes 2 and 12, with the latest

£ million
— 1957–58 1956–57
Cash Subsidy Cash Subsidy
I. Direct Subsidy Payments under Agricultural Price Guarantees:
(a) Cereals:—
Wheat and rye 22.0 15.8
Barley 17.1 8.8
Oats and mixed corn 12.2 1.4
51.3 26.0
(b) Home-produced eggs 47.6 33.7
(c) Fatstock:—
Cattle 36.4 36.1
Sheep 10.4 8.4
Pigs 38.9 30.2
85.7 74.7
(d) Milk (excluding school and welfare milk) 12.8 21.3
(e) Wool 1.5 0.2
(f) Potatoes 6.7 0.5
205.6 156.4
II. Agricultural production grants:
(a) General fertilisers subsidy 23.6 19.8
(b) Lime subsidy 10.4 9.3
(c) Grants for ploughing up grassland 9.4 10.0
(d) Field drainage and water supply grants 2.9 2.9
(e) Grants for improvement of livestock rear ing land 1.4 1.6
(f) Marginal production assistance grants 2.4 2.1
(g) Bonus payments under the Tuberculosis (Attested Herds) Scheme 8.2 9.8
(h) Livestock: improvement of breeding 0.1 0.1
(i) Calf subsidy 12.4 11.4
(j) Hill sheep and hill cattle 2.8 3.8
(k) Grants for silos 2.1 —
(l) Grants for farm improvements 0.2 —
Total II 75.9 70.8
Total Cash I and II 281.5 281.5 227.2 227.2
Administrative overheads applicable to I and II above 4.7 4.7
Total subsidy I and II 286.2 231.9
III. Trading Subsidies in implementation of Agricultural Guarantees:
(a) Home-produced eggs 0.8 0.9 6.1 6.6
(b) Potatoes 1.6 1.5 0.2 0.7
Total III 2.4 2.4 6.3 7.3
IV. Other Services:
Payment to Exchequer of Northern Ireland 0.8 0.8 — —
TOTAL COST OF AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT 284.7 289.4 233.5 239.2

Details of the original estimates of the cost of agricultural support were included in similar form in Table V of the Memorandum by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on the Civil Estimates, 1957–58 (H.C. 88—Memo.).

comparable figures for the financial year 1956–57.

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