Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications there have been in Northern Ireland under the Farm and Horticulture Development Scheme since its inception, and how many applications there have been under the Farm Capital Grant Scheme in the same period; how many schemes in each category have been, or are being, carried out; and what are the actual and estimated total sums involved in the work in each category.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesFifty-nine applications were received in Northern Ireland 349W under the Farm and Horticulture Development Scheme from its inception on 1st January 1974 up to 31st December 1975 and 42 of these were approved and are currently being carried out. The estimated total cost of the work is £577,000. The amount actually invested in these schemes up to 31st December 1975 totalled £85,600, of which £17,800 was met by grant.
During the same period there were 32,565 applications under the Farm Capital Grant Scheme, and the number of schemes approved during that time was 36,127. The estimated cost of the approved work is £40,600,700. It is not possible to say how many of these schemes are being carried out but it is estimated that 10 per cent. of all Farm Capital Grant Schemes approved are not eventually completed. The number of completed schemes on which grant was paid in this period was 35,025. The total eligible cost of work completed was £54,080,657, of which £22,006,845 was met by grant.