§ Mr. Penhaligonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will indicate how many successful claims were made for the sheep annual premium scheme; 259W how many were refused; and how many of the refusals have been contested by applicants who claim to have sent the required information before the closing date.
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith:78,326 claims have been accepted in the United Kingdom this year and 846 have been refused, 642 because they were received after the closing date. 59 of the late claimants subsequently contested the refusal and three then had their claims accepted. In addition, we are aware of about 40 cases where no claims have been received, although it is alleged that one had been posted.