§ Mrs. Ray MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications there have been for sheep quotas from the national reserve; if he will give the number 769W of successful applications as a proportion of all applications; and if he will provide a breakdown of the statistics for each region in Scotland.
§ Sir Hector MonroAn announcement will be made shortly giving details of the category of producer eligible to apply for an allocation of sheep annual premium quota from the national reserve. The announcement will also explain how and when producers should apply. Until applications have been received and processed it will not be possible to say how many have been successful.
§ Mrs. Ray MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received regarding the administration and operation of the national sheep reserve of sheep quotas; what discussions have taken place regarding altering or estending the scheme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Hector MonroWe carried out an extensive public consultation exercise earlier this year concerning the operation of the sheep quota system and received representations from a broad cross section of the industry. Discussions have continued since then and we shall make an announcement shortly explaining how producers eligible for an allocation of quota from the national reserve can submit their application.