§ Mr. SwinneyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he will take to ensure that additional payments are made to farmers who will receive less green pound compensation under the scheme of 3 February 1998 than under the scheme of 22 December 1997; and if he will make a statement. [28263]
§ Mr. RookerWhile I recognise that the effective distribution of the aid package announced on 3 February is slightly different from that which would have resulted from the implementation of the package announced on 22 December, I would emphasise that the vast majority of the revised package will still be paid to livestock farmers in the hills and uplands. There are no plans to make any other additional payments to supplement the payments made via this package to producers in the hills.
§ Mr. SwinneyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate how many farmers in(a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland will receive (i) additional, (ii) lower and (iii) the same level of compensation under the package announced on 3 February 1998 compared to the package of 22 December 1997; how many of these will lose (1) more than £5,000, (2) between £1,000 and £5,000 and (3) less than £1,000; and if he will make a statement. [28262]
§ Mr. RookerThe analysis requested cannot be undertaken without making hypothetical assumptions about the rates of payment which might have been set for the 1998 Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances Scheme consequential to my right hon. Friend's statement of 22 December. In the UK as a whole the revised package will provide for payments to lowland sheep farmers who would not otherwise have benefited and for higher payments to lowland suckler cow farmers. Sheep and cattle farmers in the Less Favoured Areas will receive about 10 per cent. less of the total £85 million in the revised package.