§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total number of applications made to date under the dairy herd conversion scheme; how many were approved, and at what cost; and what are the equivalent figures for the East Midlands area alone.
§ Mr. BishopUp to the end of last September the total number of applications was 5,575 of which 2,935 have been approved. The figures for the East Midlands are 440 and 248 respectively.
The estimated cost at the present rate of exchange is £14.4 million for all approved applications and £1.26 million for the East Midlands. Half the cost 65W is recoverable from the Guidance Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund.