§ Mr. Garrettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details of the latest estimate he has made of the cost of agricultural support in the United Kingdom for 1968–69, together with comparable figures for the preceding year.
§ Mr. Cledwyn HughesFollowing are the details of the latest estimates of the cost of agricultural support in the United Kingdom in the financial year 1968–69 in the form adopted in Appendix V of the 1968 Annual Review White Paper (Cmnd. 3558) together with comparable figures for the outturn in the financial year 1967–68.
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I. IMPLEMENTATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRICE GUARANTEES £ million Latest Estimate of Outturn 1968–69 Actual Outturn 1967–68 Cereals: Wheat and rye 17.7 10.9 Barley 30.5 23.5 Oats and mixed corn 10.8 7.4 59.0 41.8 Potatoes 6.1 1.8 Eggs 18.2 19.2 Fatstock: Cattle 22.1 41.1 Sheep 7.6 10.6 Pigs 17.3 12.0 47.0 63.7 Wool 7.0 8.5 Total I 137.3 135.0
II. RELEVANT PRODUCTION GRANTS (OTHER THAN IV BELOW) £ million Latest Estimate of Outturn Actual Outturn 1968–69 1967–68 Fertilisers 32.7 33.9 Lime 5.0 4.9 Ploughing 1.2 2.5 Field beans 1.2 — Field drainage (except tiling) 0.6 0.5 Calves 27.6 22.6 Beef cows 4.5 2.9 Hill cows 10.2 8.7 Hill sheep 7.5 5.9 Winter keep 4.7 4.5 Silos — 0.1 Small farmers 2.0 1.8 Farm business records 1.1 0.3 Crofting (cropping, etc.) 0.5 0.5 Other 1.0 0.7 Total II 99.8 89.8 III. OTHER GRANTS AND SUBSIDIES Field drainage (tiling) 4.3 3.5 Water supply 0.5 0.5 Livestock rearing land 0.7 0.9 Hill land 0.7 — Farm improvements 13.7 12.5 Farm structure 0.4 — Investment incentives 9.7 6.2 Crofting improvements 0.3 0.3 Other 0.1 0.1 Total III 30.4 24.0 Totals I, II and III 267.5 248.8 Administrative expenses estimate 12.0 10.9 IV. OTHER SERVICES Payment from U.K. Government for the benefit of agricultural producers in Northern Ireland 1.9 1.8 Total estimated cost of agricultural support 281.4 261.5