HC Deb 11 February 1963 vol 671 cc126-8W
Mr. Mathew

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details of the latest estimates he has made of the agricultural subsidies for the United Kingdom for 1962–63, together with comparable figures for the previous years.

Mr. Soames

Following are particulars of the latest estimates of the cost of agricultural support in the financial year 1962–63 for which provisions have been made in the Civil Estimates, Class V, Votes 3, 4, 5 and 6, as amended by the Supplementary Estimates, available

I.—FARMING GRANTS AND SUBSIDIES
£ million
— 1962–63 1961–62
1. General Fertilisers Subsidy … 35.0 33.0
2. Lime Subsidy … 9.8 8.8
3. Grants for Ploughing up Grassland … 11.7 11.5
4. Field Drainage and Water Supply Grants … 3.8 3.5
5. Grants for Improvement of Livestock Rearing Land … 1.6 1.6
6. Marginal Production Assistance Grants … 0.8 0.8
7. Bonus Payments under the Tuberculosis (Attested Herds) Scheme … 5.2 7.2
8. Calf Subsidy … 18.3 17.8
9. Hill Sheep and Hill Cattle … 6.8 5.8
10. Silo Subsidies … 0.6 0.8
11. Grants for Farm Improvements … 10.8 9.2
12. Grants to Rabbit Clearance Societies … 0.3 0.3
13. Grants to Small Farmers … 7.7 7.1
14. Other Grants … 0.1 01
TOTAL I … 112.5 107.5

II.—IMPLEMENTATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRICE GUARANTEES
£ million
— 1962–63 1961–62
(1) Cereals:—
Wheat and Rye … 16.3 — 22.0 —
Barley … 36.3 — 33.2 —
Oats and mixed corn … 112 — 18.1 —
63.8 73.3
(2) Eggs … — 24.3 — 16.2
(3) Fatstock:
Cattle … 30.0 — 46.4 —
Sheep … 19.7 — 30.7 —
Pigs … 57.3 — 36.2 —
107.0 113.3
(4) Milk (excluding school and welfare milk) … — —* — 11.8
(5) Wool … — 3.3 — 2.9
(6) Potatoes … — 0.4 — 8.0
TOTAL II … — 198.8 — 225.5

III.—OTHER SERVICES
£ million
— 1962–63 1961–62
Payment to the Exchequer of Northern Ireland … … … 1.1 0.9
TOTALS I, II and III … … … 312.4 333.9

IV.—ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
£ million
— 1962–63 1961–62
Applicable to I and II only … … … 8.9 8.7
TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT … … … 321.3 342.6

Details of the original estimates of the cost of agricultural support were included in Table V of the Memorandum by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on the Estimates 1962–63 (H.C. 142).

*Following the 1962 Annual Review the retail price of milk was arranged so that neither a deficiency nor a surplus will arise, taking one year with another, from the implementation of the price guarantee.

today, with the latest comparable figures for the financial year 1961–62.