§ Mr. Thorpeasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has for giving scientific advice on alternative forms of husbandry to farmers declared ineligible for continued assistance under hill cow subsidy payment schemes.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsAdvice on the merits of alternative farming systems and the returns which can be expected from them is a normal feature of the farm management services offered free to all farmers by the National Agricultural Advisory Service.
§ Mr. Thorpeasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has for ensuring that those hearing and deciding appeals against notice of discontinuance of hill cow subsidy payments will be persons other than those initially carrying out individual review surveys or participating in decisions based on such surveys; whether he will publish the procedure to be adopted for such appeals; and whether he will consider the appointment of independent assessors to conduct these appeals.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsThe procedures to be used by Agricultural Executive Committees to hear representations against notice of discontinuance of hill cow subsidy payments will be those which are normally used in such cases, although special arrangements have been made for farmers to be represented, should they so desire, when their representation is being heard. The procedures have proved satisfactory in the past and my right hon. Friend sees no reason for departing from them.
Although general guidance is given to the Committees on the way they might conduct these hearings, it is for the Committees themselves to decide on the details. The suggested procedure is that the full Committee should consider representations and make a recommendation. If Ministry officers feel unable to accept this recommendation, the matter is referred to the Minister for a decision. Although A.E.C. panels were concerned in the early surveys of the boundaries which determined the review areas these panels were limited to as few members as possible in order to ensure the continuing impartiality of the majority of 163W the Committee. My right hon. Friend, therefore, sees no cause for appointing independent assessors to conduct these representations.
§ Mr. Thorpeasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farms in Devon have been inspected and still remain to be inspected to consider their eligibility for continued Hill Cow Subsidy payments; mow many owners or tenants of farms inspected have received notice of intended discontinuance; and of these how many have entered notice of appeal.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsOf the 436 farms under review in Devon, 364 have so far been inspected; the remaining 72 will be inspected shortly. Thirty-one farmers have so far been informed that they will continue to be fully eligible for the subsidy; 254 have been told of the ineligibility of some or all their land; and 79 farmers have yet to be notified of the status of their land.
Of the 254 farmers adversely affected, 206 have been notified that all their land is ineligible; 18 that part of their land is ineligible; and 30 that their enclosed land is ineligible but that their common grazings will remain eligible. 168 of these farmers had by 21st January entered notice of appeal.