HC Deb 10 December 1990 vol 182 cc315-6W
Dr. David Clark

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the total liabilities of United Kingdom agriculture including borrowings by agricultural landlords and farmers, but excluding borrowing for private purposes, for 1989 and 1990; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gummer

Information on the total liabilities of United Kingdom agriculture relates to December in each year. No figures are available for 1990. A forecast for 1989

MAFF spend on R and D with AFRC institutes—Table 1
£ million
April-March years 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92
(a) Arable crops 5.4 3.8 4.3 4.4 4.5
(b) Animal health 5.1 5.1 5.0 6.2 5.3
(c) Animal physiology and genetics 2.3 2.1 2.2 3.2 3.0
(d) Engineering research 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.1
(e) Food research 6.3 6.6 6.3 5.9 4.7
(f) Grassland and environmental research 7.2 7.4 6.4 6.0 5.2
(g) Horticultural research 7.2 7.4 6.4 6.0 5.2
(h) Plant science research 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.4
Total 36.6 36.3 36.0 36.6 126.2
1 Excludes research which will be commissioned directly by MAFF with Horticultural Research International from 1991–92 onwards.
Table 2
£s million
April-March years 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84
(a) Animals 10.7 13.8 15.3 15.2
(b) Arable Crops 7.1 10.9 11.8 20.1
(c) Horticulture 5.8 7.5 8.4
(d) Engineering 2.4 2.8 4.0 4.4
(e) Food Science 2.6 3.7 5.0 5.8
Total 28.6 38.7 44.5 45.5

is published in table 3.1 of the 1990 edition of "Farm Income in the United Kingdom" and will be updated in "Agriculture in the United Kingdom", 1990 edition, to be published in January 1991. A forecast for 1990 will be given in "Farm Income in the United Kingdom", 1991 edition, to be published in April 1990. The level in real terms of total liabilities of United Kingdom agriculture has remained broadly stable since 1983.