§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many parliamentary questions to her Department have not been answered because of disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally over the last five years; how many could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems; and if she will list each such question along with the name and constituency of the hon. Member who tabled it.
§ Mr. JackThe POLIS database lists 85 parliamentary questions as not having been answered between January 1989 and December 1993 on the grounds of disproportionate cost or because the information was not held centrally. Details of each of these questions can be obtained from the POLIS database, access to which is available in the Library.
Estimated average size of farms wholly or mainly in the less favoured areas in 19921 (excluding minor holdings) Average size of farms (ESU) All main holdings Holdings 8 ESU and over FBS province and county Wholly or mainly in the LFA Of which: SDA2 DA3 Wholly or mainly in the LFA Of which: SDA2 DA3 East Midland Derbyshire 25 25 25 44 46 39 25 25 25 44 46 39 Northern Cumbria 36 34 41 47 46 52 Durham 26 26 30 40 40 39 Northumberland 46 46 46 60 61 56 37 36 40 50 50 50 North Eastern Cleveland 43 40 59 59 54 83 North Yorkshire 35 33 38 48 46 52 South Yorkshire 29 29 29 45 44 45 West Yorkshire 15 13 26 37 33 45 28 25 35 45 43 50 North Western Cheshire 20 19 25 36 37 34 Greater Manchester 18 15 20 35 33 36 Lancashire 28 22 35 46 40 50 Shropshire 27 27 28 43 41 47 Staffordshire 25 22 26 44 39 46 26 22 30 44 40 47 Southern Hereford and Worcester 21 22 19 31 31 32 21 22 19 31 31 32 South Western Cornwall 23 26 22 46 45 46 Devon 24 21 26 41 36 45 Isles of Scilly 11 11 — 16 16 — Somerset 23 24 20 41 42 39 23 22 24 42 38 46 England 28 28 30 46 45 47 1Based on 1988 Standard Gross Margins; 1 ESU is equal to 1,200 ecu of standard gross margin (average 1987–1989 values). 2Holdings with 50 per cent. or more of their less favour area land in the SDA. 3Holdings with 50 per cent. or more of their less favoured area land in the DA. Source: Agricultural Census.
630WInformation relating to questions which could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems could be provided only at disproportionate cost.