§ Mr. Hardyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many persons are employed full time in farming actively in England and Wales at the latest available date; and how many were so engaged 10 and 20 years earlier.
§ Mr. StrangThe following is the information available about the numbers of persons employed full time in agriculture, including horticulture, in England and Wales at June 1975 and in earlier years:
Thousands 1955 1965 1975* Full-time workers 478.7 313.0 190.9 Full-time farmers, partners and directors † † 166.4 Total Not available 357.3 * Provisional. † Not collected before 1970. source: June Agricultural census.
The number of workers in 1975 is not directly comparable with the 1955 and 1965 figures because:
- (i) they include managerial and clerical workers and exclude non-principal partners; and
- (ii) changes have taken place in the definition of holdings included in the agricultural census.