§ Mr. WallaceTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) by what date he expects all applications for sheep annual premium in the current year to be paid out;
(2) how many applications for payment of sheep annual premium he has received in the current year from (a) Scotland, (b) Orkney and (c) Shetland; and what proportion in each category remained unpaid on 1 March.
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 14 March 1994]: The number of eligible applications received under the 1993 sheep annual premium scheme and the proportion of claims for which the advance payment had not been made at 10 March are set out in the table.
Number Proportion (per cent.) Scotland 16,687 11.0 Orkney 482 12.0 Shetland 1,470 7.0 The applications for which advance payments have still to be made are those where claims for premium are not matched by quota. Payments will continue to be made over the coming weeks, but a number of claims cannot be paid until after allocations from the national reserve have been completed and the additional period for transferring and leasing quota has taken place in the early summer.