§ Mr. WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) goat producers and (b) goats there are in Scotland; and what financial assistance is available to goat producers in Scotland.
§ Sir Hector Monro[holding answer 20 January 1995]: The number of goats recorded in the census at June 1994 was 11,123 kept on 1,047 agricultural units.
There are some grant assistance schemes which may be of interest to those who keep goats. Goat producers, provided that they meet the eligibility criteria, would qualify for grant under the farm and conservation grant scheme. There are also the marketing and development scheme and, in relation to goat milk and meat products, the EC processing and marketing grant scheme. Some financial assistance in objective 1 and 5b areas may also be available.