Question
What is his Department's total estimated expenditure on agriculture, fisheries and food in Wales in the current financial year; and how much of this expenditure was funded by payments made from the European Union.
Answer
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his Department's total estimated expenditure on agriculture, fisheries and food in Wales in the current financial year; and how much of this expenditure was funded by payments made from the European Union. [18616] Mr. Hague: Total estimated expenditure by my Department on agriculture, fisheries and food in Wales in 1996-97 is £268.550 million. This includes expenditure on beef marketing payments schemes and the BSE-related top-up payments to beef special premium and suckler cow premium schemes made by my Department but excludes expenditure by the Intervention Board executive agency on other BSE schemes. The total receipts from the European Union relating to agriculture, fisheries and food are expected to be £228.324 million, of which £6.559 million relates to expenditure in the previous calendar year.