HC Deb 06 February 1992 vol 203 c271W
Mr. Haynes

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many jobs have been lost in the farming industry since 1979.

Mr. Curry

The number of farmers and workers recorded in the June census of agricultural holdings were 740,000 in 1979 and 628,000 in 1991. The difference of 112,000 overestimates the number of jobs lost because of changes in the basis on which the data were collected.