HC Deb 14 June 1985 vol 80 cc557-8W
Mr. Alex Carlile

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many full-time agricultural workers there are in Wales; and how many there were on 1 January 1970, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984, respectively; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

Details of the numbers of workers on agricultural holdings are collected in a full census in June and a sample census in December each year The numbers of persons recorded as working full-time on agricultural holdings in Wales in the years requested were as follows:

June December
1970 32,280 34.946
1980 33,351 33.257
1981 33,339 32,704
1982 32,851 32.558
1983 32,171 32,487
1984 32,707 32,307

Figures exclude wives of farmers and directors; and salaried managers for which no data on full-time working are available The 1970 figure is thought to be affected by definitional changes at that time.