HC Deb 31 January 1968 vol 757 cc340-1W
Mr. Kenyon

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 1967–68, together with comparable figures for the previous year.

Mr. Peart

Following are particulars of the latest estimates of the cost of agricultural support in the United Kingdom in the financial year 1967–68 for which provisions have been made in the Civil Estimates, Class V, Votes 3, 4 5 and 6, with comparable figures for the outturn in the financial year 1966–67.

I. FARMING GRANTS AND SUBSIDIES
£ million
latest estimate of outturn 1967–68 actual outturn 1966–67
1. General Fertilisers Subsidy … … … 32.4 30.0
2. Lime Subsidy … … … 5.2 6.4
3. Grams for Ploughing-up Grassland … … … 2.8 5.7
4. Field Drainage and Water Supply Grants … … … 4.5 3.7
5. Grants for Improvement of Livestock Rearing Land … … … 1.0 1.0
6. Grants for Improvement of Hill Land … … … 0.1 —
7. Calf Subsidy … … … 23.1 24.7
8. Hill Cattle and Hill Sheep … … … 15.8 15.5
9. Beef Cow Subsidy … … … 3.5 2.5
10. Winter Keep Grants … … … 4.8 3.7
11. Silo Subsidies … … … 0.1 0.2
12. Grants for Farm Improvements … … … 12.3 11.1
13. Agricultural Investment Grants … … … 7.0 —
14. Grants for Improvement of Farm Structure … … … — —
15. Grants to Small Farmers … … … 2.1 2.3
16. Farm Business Records Scheme … … … 0.4 —
17. Grants to Rabbit Clearance Societies … … … 0.5 0.4
18. Other Grants … … … 0.1 0.1
Total I … … … 115.7 107.3

II. IMPLEMENTATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRICE GUARANTEES
£ million 1967–68 £ million 1966–67
1. Cereals:—
Wheat and Rye 10.8 13.5
Barley 24.1 29.2
Oats and mixed corn 7.3 6.7
—— 42.2 —— 49.4
2. Fatsto:—
Cattle 44.3 19.6
Sheep 10.6 8.9
Pigs 12.3 5.7
—— 67.2 —— 34.2
3. Eggs 20.6 18.0
4. Wool 8.1 3.7
5. Potatoes 1.8 3.5
Total II 139.9 108.8
III. OTHER SERVICES
Payment to the Exchequer of Northern Ireland 1.9 1.6
Totals I, II, III 257.5 217.7
IV. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES (Estimate)
Applicable to I and II only 10.9 10.3
TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT 268.4 228.0

Details of the original estimates of the cost of agricultural support were included in Table VI of the memorandum by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on the Estimates 1967–68 (Cmnd. 3227) and in Appendix V of the Annual Review and Determination of Guarantees, 1967 (Cmnd. 3229).