HC Deb 28 March 1979 vol 965 cc240-1W
Mr. Kilfedder

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons shared in the total fees payment of £971,225 in connection with the artificial reproduction of animals for the year ended 31 March 1978; and what was the average fees payment per person.

Mr. Pendry

The figure of £971,225 is the total of receipts received by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland for fees charged for 293,777 inseminations—215,939 first inseminations and 77,838 repeats—on approximately 23,000 farms and for other services to private importers and users, such as collection and storage of semen. The average total fees paid for inseminations per farm was £38.12. The actual cost per farm of course varies according to the extent to which the service was used.