§ Mr. IllsleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money was spent on compensation payments for price cuts to farmers in Northern Ireland in 1995. [26219]
§ Mr. Ancram[holding answer 22 April 1996]: I understand that the hon. Member is seeking information on the effects of increased payments made to farmers under the 1992 common agricultural policy reform measures which shifted the balance of CAP expenditure away from market support to schemes aimed at supporting production at the level of individual farms. It is not possible precisely to identify the elements of these payments which would have been compensatory but the total amount paid in 1995 was £102 million. The equivalent amount paid to farmers in 1992, which was the last year in which market support measures were predominant, was £25.45 million.