§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much agricultural aid was made available by the European Community to less fertile upland areas in the United Kingdom in the last year; and how much was made available to the whole of the agricultural industry in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. JoplingI regret it is not possible to identify separately all the aids given to farmers in the less fertile upland areas from the whole range of measures available under the common agricultural policy. However, there are certain measures which are applied only to farmers in those parts of the hills and uplands that are designated as less favoured areas under Directive 75/268. Under the hill livestock compensatory allowances scheme and the agriculture and horticulture development scheme farmers in the LFAs receive special assistance of which some 25 per cent. or about £22 million is expected to be received from the EAGGF guidance section for 1982. Farmers in the hills and uplands are also able to benefit from the full range of agricultural market support measures available under the EAGGF guarantee section. Of these the sheep annual premium scheme and the suckler cow premium scheme are of the greatest importance to LFA farmers. Approximately £23 million was paid to them under these two measures in 1982.
In total, the United Kingdom received about £760 million under the common agricultural policy during 1982.