§ Mr. Molyneauxasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the average real weekly earnings of agricultural workers in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively, during the latest 12 months for which he has a record; and how these compare with the agreed minimum wages.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe latest available figures of earnings and minimum wages of all whole-time adult male workers in agriculture (including horticulture) are as follows:
§ Mr. Anthony StodartI regret that separate figures for grants on hedge removal are not available but in England and Wales, between the introduction of the Farm Improvement Scheme in 1957 and the end of 1970, a total of £885,000 was paid in grant under the item of the Scheme which covered removal of hedges and banks, filling in of ditches, and removal of boulders, tree roots and other like obstruction to cultivation.
473WThere are no precise figures of the length of hedges removed with the aid of grant paid under the Farm Iprovement Scheme. However, estimates made in 1969 indicated that it amounted to substantially less than 1,000 miles a year.
The effect of hedge removal on the yield of arable crops varies according to circumstances, but in suitable cases it can increase yields as well as reducing costs.