§ Sir A. Bossomasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware of the concern among farmers due to the number of applications for grants under the Farm Improvement Scheme now being refused on the grounds that the livelihood obtained by the farmer concerned was not sufficient to justify a grant; and if he will, in view of the recent fall in profitability in small farms, reconsider these rejections which have been disallowed on these grounds.
§ Mr. John HareThe Agriculture Act, 1957, does not authorise me to approve an application for a farm improvement grant unless the land for the benefit of which the improvement is proposed is, or after improvement will be, capable of yielding a sufficient livelihood to a reasonably skilled occupier. Where applications for grant have been rejected on the grounds that this requirement is not met, it is only after most careful consideration in each individual case. I therefore see no grounds for a general review of rejected cases.