§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the(a) gross and (b) net farm income in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. AncramThe two measures of agricultural income published by the Department of Agriculture are net of all material and service input costs. The broader measure is total income from farming which gives the sum available to reward farmers, their spouses and family workers for their labour and enterprise and to provide a return on their own capital invested. The second, narrower, measure is farming income which is the sum available to reward only farmers and their spouses for their labour and enterprise and to provide a return on their own capital invested. Figures for the period 1983–92 are as follows:
£million (current prices) Total income from farming Farming income 1983 130.3 90.2 1984 163.5 122 1985 125.4 81 1986 106.9 61.1 1987 161 113.7 1988 184.1 136.3 1989 212.8 160.6 1990 155.3 103.3 1991 180.3 125 11992 224.2 168.1 1 Provisional.