§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what was the overall cost to the Exchequer of support to United Kingdom agriculture in each year from 1960 to 1983, in actual and at 1983 prices;
(2) what was the overall cost to the Exchequer of support to United Kingdom agriculture in each year from 1960 to 1983 in actual and at 1983 prices.
§ Mr. MacGregorExpenditure on agricultural support in the United Kingdom under national grant schemes and subsidies and since 1972–73 under the CAP is given in the following table in actual and 1982–83 prices. The figures are taken from the annual review White Papers over the years concerned; these exclude expenditure which may benefit farmers but where the value to them is not directly quantifiable to the individual farmer, for example, expenditure on research, advice and education. They include however some expenditure which benefits consumers and trade interests rather than producers. The information is not readily available on a calendar year basis and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Public expenditure on agriculture Financial year £ million* £ million†‡ 1960–61 263 1,725 1961–62 343 2,157 1962–63 310 1,880 1963–64 294 1,760 1964–65 264 1,519 1965–66 237 1,298 1966–67 229 1,212 1967–68 262 1,352 1968–69 269 1,318 1969–70 281 1,311 1970–71 257 1,115 1971–72 323 1,282 1972–73 267 992 1973–74 392 1,318 1974–75 495 1,410 1975–76 512 1,171 1976–77 378 751 1977–78 460 801 1978–79 37 863 1979–80 677 940 1980–81 1,012 1,208 1981–82 972 1,041 1982–83 1,433 1,433 ║1983–84 1,689 1,614 Source: Annual Review White Papers. * To nearest million. † Adjusted to 1982–83 prices by the Retail Price Index. ‡1982–83 prices. ║Forecast.