§ Mr. AmosTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the total level of present and planned spending on each of the schemes available to farmers in the less-favoured areas for capital, environmental and other grant aid; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CurryThe forecast outturn of expenditure by the Ministry in 1991–92 on payments to farmers in the less-favoured areas (LFAs) in England on capital, environmental and other grant schemes is set out in the following table. The table also sets out estimates of the sums likely to be spent under those schemes in the LFAs in the years 1992–93 to 1994–95. Except in the case of environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) these estimates have been arrived at by applying the latest information on spend in the LFAs to the planning totals for future years. The planning totals do not hypothecate expenditure between particular parts of the country, nor in the case of capital grant, between particular types of investment. As regards ESAs, as the hon. Member will be aware, an expansion of the scheme is in train. It is not possible therefore to apply historic data to planning totals to produce estimates of future spend in the LFAs. For forward years, therefore, figures for planned expenditure on the scheme as a whole are given.
662W
£ million Scheme 1991.921 1992.932 1993.942 1994.952 F and CGS 5.3 5.4 5.8 6.1 FDGS3 1.6 1.5 1.2 1.2 Set Aside 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 FWS/FWPS 0.03 0.04 0.06 0.09 ESAs 2.8 21.5 37.4 44.9 Notes: 1 Estimated Outturn. 2 Estimated expenditure based on planning totals.
3 Statistics for the farm diversification grant scheme figures do not distinguish between LFA and non-LFA. The figures given are for total expenditure in MAFF Divisions covering LFA areas.
§ Mr. AmosTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much assistance has been given to farmers in the less-favoured areas in Northumberland in 1979, 1987 and the latest year for which figures are available, under each of the hill livestock compensatory allowance, suckler cow and other schemes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CurryInformation for the area requested is available only for the hill livestock compensatory allowances scheme:
£ million 1979 2.288 1987 4.669 1991 6.008
§ Mr. AmosTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current level of hill livestock compensatory allowance and suckler cow premium payments; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CurryI refer my hon. Friend to the replies given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Mr. Jopling) and my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough (Sir J. Farr) on 11 February 1992,Official Report, column 496–98.