§ 19. Mr. BaconTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement about the pig industry scheme for Outgoers. [81225]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Outgoers element of the Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme (PIRS), which was introduced as part of the Action Plan for Farming, and is now closed to applications, provided assistance of £15.6 million in 2001 to pig farmers seeking to leave the industry. Under the Ongoers element, £10.9 million was offered this year and next to producers who wished to restructure their businesses to become more viable in the long term.