§ Mr. Mackintoshasked 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 1969–70, 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 1969–70 in the form adopted in Appendix V of the 1969 Annual Review White Paper (Cmnd. 3965) together with comparable figures for the out-turn in the financial year 1968–69.
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I. IMPLEMENTATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRICE GUARANTEES £ million Latest Estimate of Outturn 1969–70 Actual Outturn 1968–69 Cereals: Wheat and rye 17.2 17.7 Barley 35.4 29.5 Oats and mixed corn 9.6 10.7 62.2 57.9 Potatoes 2.0 6.3 Eggs 13.0 16.2 Fatstock: Cattle 25.2 19.3 Sheep 1.8 6.9 Pigs 19.8 14.3 46.8 40.5 Wool 5.0 6.3 TOTAL I 129.0 127.2
£ million Latest Estimate of Outturn 1969–70 Actual Outturn 1968–69 II. RELEVANT PRODUCTION GRANTS (OTHER THAN IV BELOW) Fertilisers 33.7 30.9 Lime 4.8 4.6 Ploughing 0.4 1.1* Field beans 1.1 1.2 Field drainage (except tiling) 0.6 0.5 Calves 27.3 26.8 Beef cows 4.9 4.0 Hill cows 11.8 10.3 Hill sheep 6.5 7.2 Winter keep 4.7 4.6 Small farmers 1.8 1.8 Farm business records 1.4 1.0 Crofting (cropping, etc.) 0.5 0.4 Other 1.3 0.9 TOTAL II 100.8 95.3 III. OTHER GRANTS AND SUBSIDIES Field drainage (tiling) 4.5 4.0 Water supply 0.5 0.4 Livestock rearing land 0.6 0.6 Hill land 1.5 0.6 Farm improvements 14.9 13.6 Farm structure 1.4 0.2 Investment incentives 11.5 9.3 Crofting improvements 0.3 0.3 Other 0.1 0.2 TOTAL III 35.3 29.2 TOTALS I, II and III 265.1 251.7 Administrative expenses estimate 12.7 12.0 277.8 263.7 IV. OTHER SERVICES Payment from United Kingdom Government for the benefit of agricultural producers in Northern Ireland 1.7 1.7 TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT 279.5 265.4 * Includes £0.7 million under the £10 Emergency Payments Scheme which is non-relevant.