§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the present estimate of the size of the pig herd; and what it was at the same time in 1978, 1977, 1976 and in 1975.
§ Mr. BishopThere were 7,964,000 pigs in the United Kingdom pig herd at December 1978, according to the latest census for which provisional results are available. The figures for the same census in each of the earlier years requested were:
1975 7,714,000 1976 8,151,000 1977 7,733,000
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the present size of the pig herd in (a) France, (b) West Germany and (c) the Netherlands; and what was the size of the herd in each of those countries in 1978, 1977, 1976, and 1975.
§ Mr. BishopFollowing is the information requested based on the results of the December censuses in the countries concerned as reported to the Statistical Office of the European Communities.
the farm capital grant scheme and 60 per cent. under the farm and horticulture development scheme. The drainage works covered are field drainage, including underdrainage and ditching.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what funds have come from the EEC to finance drainage on farms in 1978, 1977 and 1976.
§ Mr. StrangIt is not possible, without disproportionate cost and effort, to identify in detail every drainage element in claims made on the EEC. The following figures 473W which relate to England and Wales, are consequently approximate:
1976 £13,290 1977 £121,260 No EEC contribution is yet due on drainage on farms in 1978. The amounts shown represent 75 per cent. of the reimbursement claimed in the following years in England and Wales under the farm and horticulture development scheme during the years in question. The remaining 25 per cent. will be paid by the Community after the EEC Commission has completed its auditing procedures.
§ Mr. John Watkinsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, approximately how many acres of agricultural
AVERAGE PRICES OF AGRICULTURAL LAND SOLD WITH VACANT POSSESSION (a) £ per acre (b) £ per hectare MAFF Region 1976 1977 1978 (estimate) 1976 1977 1978 (estimate) South-Western … … 607 749 1,085 1,499 1,850 2,680 Eastern … … 617 878 1,162 1,525 2,169 2,871 Yorkshire/Lancashire … … 460 694 931 1,137 1,716 2,301 Note:
The information for 1976 and 1977 is taken from the MAFF/Inland Revenue series which records all sales of agricultural land of four hectares and over. Adjustments have been made to allow for the time-lag, thought to be about six to nine months, inherent in this series. The estimates for 1978 are based on the percentage increase in prices in each region as indicated by information from the less comprehensive, but more up-to-date, ADAS/AMC agricultural land price series. No data are yet available for 1979.