§ Mrs. Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many mink farms and chinchilla breeders or other fur producers there are in Scotland and how many of them receive Government assistance; what plans he has to develop the fur industry in Scotland; and if he will seek to establish a fur centre to assist in the marketing of this product.
§ Mr. RossThere are 57 current licences for mink farms in Scotland but my Department does not keep other statistics of fur farms. Fur farms are eligible for agricultural investment grants on buildings and fixed equipment but the number of grants made to fur farms is not separately recorded. The Government do not envisage giving additional assistance to the fur industry.