§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what statistics she has showing net investment from retained income categorised by farm business size for(a) 1981–82 and (b) 1991–92; and what other data are published by her Ministry relating investment to farm business size.
§ Mr. JackInformation on net investment in agricultural assets is collected annually from a sample of farms in the farm business survey. The net investment, including both investment from retained profits and new funds introduced, is shown as the difference between cash income and cash flow from the farming business. Estimates of these measures for 1990–91 and 1991–92 are published by type and economic size of farm in appendix 1 of "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom 1991–92". The following table shows the averages for 1991–92 by farm business size group. Figures for 1981–82 are not available on a comparable basis.
Estimated Average Net investment (1) (£'000 per farm) Farm size group Average of all types of farm Small 4.2 Medium 9.7 Large 27.6 (1) Net investment represents investment net of sales of assets using both retained profits and funds introduced from outside the farming business.
§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information she has relating farm size to participation in environmental schemes operated by her Ministry.
§ Mr. JackFarms of a wide range of sizes participate in our environmental schemes. For example, the average size of farms participating in those environmentally sensitive area schemes in which we require the whole farm to be entered into agreement currently ranges from 33 hectares in West Penwith to 487 hectares in the North Peak. I would also refer the hon. Gentleman to the environmentally sensitive area reports of monitoring 1991 and 1992, available in the Library of the House.