HC Deb 24 June 1994 vol 245 cc389-90W
Mr. Tipping

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the counties served, the number of hectares and the number of farmers in each of her Ministry's regional service centres; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Jack

The information requested in respect of the Ministry's nine regional service centres is set out in the table.

June 1993 census of agriculture and horticulture England1
Regional service centre location and counties covered Total agricultural area (Hectares) Farmers/partners/directors2 (Numbers)
Bristol
Avon 83,583 2,246
Dorset 198,653 3,412
Somerset 274,254 6,360
Wiltshire 269,449 3,360
Total 825,939 15,378
Cambridge
Bedfordshire 91,160 1,450
Cambridgeshire 285,670 4,046
Essex 266,916 4,347
Hertfordshire 104,892 1,478
Norfolk 429,960 5,864
Suffolk 305,843 4,205

Regional service centre location and counties covered Total agricultural area (Hectares) Farmers/partners/directors2 (Numbers)
Total 1,484,441 21,390
Carlisle
Cumbria 461,185 7,755
Lancashire 221,226 6,441
Northumberland 382,262 2,925
Tyne and Wear 15,442 305
Total 1,080,115 17,426
Crewe
Cheshire 168,502 5,003
Merseyside 19,659 596
Greater Manchester 41,074 1,624
Shropshire 286,821 5,742
Staffordshire 197,155 5,130
Total 713,211 18,095
Exeter
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 279,894 7,758
Devon 520,312 12,681
Total 800,206 20,439
Nottingham
Derbyshire 186,673 4,450
Leicestershire 197,275 3,307
Lincolnshire 522,994 7,334
Northamptonshire 189,569 2,361
Nottinghamshire 152,207 2,459
Total 1,248,718 19,911
Northallerton
Cleveland 29,328 528
Durham 158,136 2,664
Humberside 287,186 4,507
Yorkshire
North 637,075 10,621
South 83,235 1,714
West 103,002 3,401
Total 1,297,962 23,435
Reading
Berkshire 70,783 829
Buckinghamshire 127,194 2,131
East Sussex 112,163 2,435
Hampshire 227,278 3,267
Isle of Wight 26,494 567
Kent 249,406 4,694
Greater London 14,413 492
Oxfordshire 203,870 2,314
Surrey 68,918 1,810
West Sussex 126,183 2,335
Total 1,226,702 20,874
Worcester
Hereford and Worcester 313,880 7,691
Gloucestershire 208,250 3,674
Warwickshire 156,186 2,817
West Midlands MC 15,602 520
Total 693,918 14,702
Total for 9 regional service centres 9,371,212 171,650
1Excluding estimates for minor holdings.
2Excludes spouses of farmers, partners and directors though they themselves may be partners or directors.