§ Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of agricultural holdings returning to farmers, partners and directors—at the June agricultural census on the lines of table 63 of the latest volume of the "Digest of Welsh Agricultural Statistics"—for June of each year from 1971 onwards for Scotland.
§ Mr. William RossInformation on working partners and directors is not asked for in the Scottish Agricultural Census. I am sending the hon. Member separately tables containing the information on farmers he seeks for 1971, 1972, 631W 1973 and 1974, since these are too voluminous to publish in the Official Report.
§ Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing (a) the number of agricultural holdings returning whole-time farmers, partners and directors and (b) the number of agricultural holdings returning part-time farmers, partners and directors for June of each year from 1971 onwards for Scotland.
§ Mr. William RossInformation on partners and directors is not asked for in the Scottish Agricultural Census. The numbers of occupiers returning themselves as doing full-time or part-time farm work show seasonal and year to year variation. The numbers of full-time and part-time occupiers recorded at the June Agricultural Census since 1971 are as follows:
1971 1972 1973* 1974 Number of agricultural holdings … 38,060 37,930 31,738 31,896 Number of occupiers doing full-time or part-time farm work 24,259 Not available 24,737 24,673 * In June 1973 the threshold for inclusion in the annual census was raised from a labour requirement of 26 standard man-days to 40 standard man-days.