HC Deb 09 May 1994 vol 243 c51W
Dr. Strang

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the latest total paid to farmers in(a) arable aid scheme set-aside payments and (b) total arable area scheme payments in Scotland following the 1993–94 harvest.

Sir Hector Monro

To date, about £15.5 million of aid has been paid in Scotland in respect of the set-aside element of the 1993 arable area payments scheme—AAPS —claims. Total AAPS aid payments, to date, amount to £90.6 million.

Dr. Strang

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many farms in Scotland had arable aid scheme set-aside areas greater than(a) 100 hectares and (b) 50 hectares in the last available year.

Sir Hector Monro

Under the 1993 arable area payments scheme, 17 farms in Scotland had set-aside areas greater than 100 hectares, and a further 128 farms had set-aside areas of between 50 and 100 hectares.

Dr. Strang

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many farmers in Scotland received arable area payments greater than(a) £100,000, (b) £250,000, (c) £500,000 and (d) £1,000,000 in the last available year.

Sir Hector Monro

Under the 1993 arable area payments scheme, 45 payments of more than £100,000 have been made to Scottish farmers, with a further two payments of between £250,000 and £500,000. No payments in excess of £500,000 have been made.

Dr. Strang

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many farms in Scotland had hectarages of land under cereals greater than(a) 1,000 hectares, (b) 500 hectares and (c) 250 hectares in the last available year.

Sir Hector Monro

The numbers of farms recorded in the June 1993 agricultural census of main holdings with cereals area greater than 500 hectares, or greater than 250 hectares were five and 50, respectively. There were fewer than five farms with greater than 1,000 hectares of cereals; to avoid disclosure, the number is not published.