§ Miss Maynardasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will state the total number of schemes for arterial drainage which have been grant-aided by his Department, the number of farmers or landowners who have benefited from such schemes, the area of land which has been drained and the total grant-aid expenditure in respect of each of the years 1980 to 1986, under the Land Drainage (Scotland) Act 1958 and under each of the following schemes (a) the farm capital grant scheme; (b) the farm and horticulture development scheme; (c) the agriculture and horticulture grant scheme; (d) the agriculture and horticulture development scheme and (e) the agriculture improvement scheme (national).
§ Mr. John MacKayThe information does not exist in the form requested. Under the Land Drainage (Scotland) Act 1958 there were three schemes in operation at the beginning of 1980 affecting 18 landowners and covering a total improvement area of 995 hectares. Two new schemes were approved in 1983 and two more in 1984 affecting 37 landowners in all and covering a total improvement area of 467 hectares. The amount of grant paid is set out in the table.
£ 1980 17,865 1981 19,479 1982 7,430 1983 38,546 1984 40,906 1985 17,245 1986 18,453 No arterial drainage was carried out in Scotland under the farm and horticulture development scheme or the agriculture and horticulture development scheme in the years 1980–86. Details for the farm capital grant scheme and the agriculture and horticulture grant scheme cannot he separated. Available figures for the combined schemes is set out in the table.
Number of payments Grant paid (£) Area of benefit (hectares) 1980 Not available 548,036 4,432 1981 174 357,812 2,362 1982 307 875,105 5,397 1983 369 940,402 5,906 1984 367 1,027,683 5,211 1985 312 821,078 4,830 1986 195 673,121 5,395 The agriculture improvement scheme (national) did not come into operation until 1 October 1985 and no grant was paid in the remainder of that year under the scheme. In 1986, 69 payments were made covering grant of £140,536 and a total area of benefit extending to 6,156 hectares.