§ Mr. George Rodgersasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what increase or decline has taken place in the number of goats in the United Kingdom during the last 10 years.
§ Mr. BishopGoat numbers are not collected regularly at each agricultural census, but between 1966 and 1975, the latest year for which figures are available, the 27W number of goats in Great Britain declined by 15 per cent., to 11,214 head. No figures are available for Northern Ireland in 1966, but between 1970 and 1975 goat numbers in the United Kingdom fell by 7.5 per cent. to 13,426 head. These figures do not include goats kept on statistically insignificant holdings or as domestic pets.