§ 25. Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many agricultural holdings there were in 1945; and how many there are in 1975 in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively.
§ Mr. StrangThe number of agricultural holdings in England, Scotland and Wales in 1945 were 314,000, 76,000 and 57,000 respectively. Corresponding figures for 1975 are not available but in 1974 the numbers were 222,000, 53,000 and 39,000. These include holdings with insignificant output which are not now within the scope of the agricultural census but would have been in 1945. Part of the fall is due to farmers now rendering a single return for two or more holdings farmed as a single unit.