§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much subsidy was received directly by farmers in the last 12 months; and what the average subsidy received by(a) arable and (b) livestock farmers was. [82897]
§ Mr. MorleyDirect subsidies paid to farmers in the United Kingdom in the financial year 2000–01 totalled £2,348 million. The Farm Business Survey provides an estimate of average subsidy receipts by full-time farm businesses in England. The table shows average direct subsidies received by farm businesses of different types in 2001–02. Payments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were the responsibility of the devolved authorities in this period.
552WThese figures include all production related payments, together with agri-environment and rural development payments. They do not include payments made to farmers during the FMD crisis for reasons of disease control or animal welfare. Farmers may also have benefited from payments of market support, though these are also available to traders.
Average direct payments for full-time farm businesses, England, 2001–02 £ per farm Direct subsidies Livestock 14,300 Arable 36,800 Notes:
1. Average account year end February.
2. Full-time businesses are defined as those greater than eight European Size Units, an economic measure of size.
3. 'Livestock' farms cover the following farm type categories used in the Farm Business Survey: cattle and sheep (hill and lowland), dairy and pig and poultry.
4. 'Arable' farms cover the farm types: specialist cereals and general cropping.