asked the Minister for the Environment if, in view of the serious financial position of farmers at present, in particular small farmers, he will direct county councils to give the same percentage refund of rates to farmers under £40 valuation as has been given to farmers between £40 and £60 valuation.
Written Answers. - Farmers' Rates.
338.
Farmers with land valuations between £40 and £60 have been relieved of half the current rates on their holdings under the terms of the recently announced relief measures. Farmers with land valuations under £40 already qualify for relief of rates on land under the Rates on Agricultural Land (Relief) Acts, 1939 to 1980 as follows: rated occupiers of holdings with land valuations of £20 or less receive full relief of rates; rated occupiers of holdings with land valuations of more than £20 and less than £33 receive full relief of rates on the first £20 valuation; rated occupiers of holdings with land valuations of £33 or over but less than £40 receive relief of 80 per cent of the rates on the first £20 valuation and 30 per cent of the rates on the portion of the valuation over £20.
Thus for farmers with land of under £40 valuation, the relief given exceeds half the rates which would otherwise be payable on the land valuations concerned.