§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the Official Report an estimate on the best available information to hand of the cost to the Exchequer of producing an average lowland and highland sheep, respectively, taking account of the various subsidies and deficiency payments, including the guaranteed price for wool; and how this compares with the average carcase price realiseed at auctions.
§ Mr. MacGregorInformation in the form requested is not readily available since a large proportion of sheep and lambs produced in the hills and uplands are marketed for further breeding and fattening in the lowland areas. Information from the farm management survey indicates, however, that grants and subsidies, excluding investment aids, accounted on average for some 70 per cent. of net farm income of hill and upland cattle and sheep farms in England in 1982–83. For lowland cattle and sheep farms the proportion was some 40 per cent.