§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the current number of agricultural holdings in Wales.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesIt is estimated that there are currently 36,600 holdings in Wales. This total includes an estimate of 6,800 very small holdings derived from the 1989 census of minor holdings.
§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total acreage of agricultural land in Wales.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesThe total area of agricultural land at 1 June 1994, the latest date for which information is available was 1,689,000 hectares. This total was derived from the 1994 June agricultural census and includes estimates for very small holdings from the 1989 census of minor holdings. Also included are estimates for areas of common rough grazing which are not collected in these two censuses.
§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many agricultural holdings there were in Wales in 1990.
§ Mr. Gwilyn JonesThere were an estimated 36,500 holdings in Wales at 1 June 1990. This total includes an estimated 6,800 very small holdings derived from the 1989 census of minor holdings.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has showing the proportion of agricultural land which was tenanted in Wales for(a)1965, (b)1970, (c)1980, (d)1990 and (e)the latest available date.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesThe proportion of land on holdings that is rented by their occupiers has been collected in the June agricultural census since 1969. The following table shows the available information.
Proportion of rented agricultural land in Wales1 Year Percentage 1970 38.3 1980 29.8 1990 24.0 1994 22.9 Source: June agricultural and horticultural census. Note: 1 Estimates for minor holdings are included except for 1970.