HC Deb 24 February 1994 vol 238 cc367-8W
Dr. Strang

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the equivalent numbers in terms of hill and upland sheep, cattle, and mixed cattle and sheep of four, 15, 16, 39, 40, 69, 70, 99, 100, 199 and 200 British farm size units.

Mrs. Shephard

British size units were used for farm classification in the United Kingdom between 1987 and 1992 and were based on 1980 standard gross margins, SGM. The current system of farm classification uses European size units, ESU, which are based on 1988 SGM. There are slight regional differences in the values, but in the north of England one ESU equals either 24.5 hill ewes or 3.7 hill beef cows. The relationship between the old BSU and the ESU measures is not straightforward but one BSU was equivalent to 57.1 hill ewes or 8.4 hill beef cows.