§ Mr. Geraint Howellsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by county and by acreage those areas in Great Britain which will be eligible for assistance under EEC Less Favoured Areas Directive; and whether such areas coincide with those farming areas currently eligible for hill subsidies.
§ Mr. StrangThe county lists are set out in EEC directive 75/276/EEC of 28th April 1975, which was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities dated 19th May 1975. As the list for Great Britain covers some 30 pages I will, with permission, send the hon. Member a copy; the publication in question is available in the Library of the House. All the existing areas eligible for the hill subsidies, totalling some 17¼ million acres, are included. No county acreage can be made available without disproportionate work and cost.