HC Deb 24 November 1975 vol 901 cc43-5W
Mr. Stonehouse

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current number of civil servants in his Department;

farming in England in each of the last three years; and what was the average income per head weekly and annually in each of these years.

Mr. Strang

The number of persons employed in agriculture in England over the past three years, together with earnings for regular whole-time hired workers is set out below.

Information is not available on the earnings of farmers, partners and directors, but the Farm Management Survey shows that the average net income—the return for the labour of the farmer and his wife and return on farm capital excluding land and buildings—of full-time farms in England was £5,773 in 1972–73 and £6,910 in 1973–74. The 1974–75 figure is estimated to be about 10 per cent. below the 1973–74 level.

and what was the total in 1964 and the percentage increase or decrease between the two dates.

Mr. Robert Sheldon

1,135 on 1st November 1975 and 1,509 on 1st November 1964. This represents a decrease of 25 per cent., but the two figures are not comparable, because that for 1964 includes staff engaged on Civil Service pay and management work which in 1968 was transferred to the newly-established Civil Service Department.