§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average size of farm holding in the less-favoured areas as sampled by(a) the most recent farm business survey and (b) the most up-to-date and comprehensive data he has available, by country and in Scotland.
§ Sir Hector MonroThe table provides information by region—county information is not readily available—on the average size, in hectares, of cattle and sheep farms wholly or mainly in the less-favoured areas—LFAs—in Scotland from the agricultural census at June 1992. As the farm accounts scheme covers only farms that are considered to be full-time commercial businesses, very small farms are excluded from the survey. The average size of livestock farms wholly or mainly in the LFA as recorded in the farm accounts scheme sample for 1992–93 is 439 hectares, compared with 393 hectares for the average of similar farms in the agricultural census at June 1992.
Average size of cattle and sheep farms wholly or mainly in the LFA at June 1992 Region 1Hectares Islands (Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles) 48 Highland 403 Grampian 148 Tayside 763 Fife 101 Lothian 273 Borders 380 Central 418 Strathclyde 278 Dumfries and Galloway 214 Scotland 254 1Total area of holding