asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will introduce legislation to remove the statutory demands made by ACOT, on local authorities who are being forced to make payments to this agency which are greater than the revenue increases allowed by the Department of the Environment.
Written Answers. - Statutory Agricultural Contributions.
643.
Statutory contributions by county councils to committees of agriculture and ACOT are already limited under the Agriculture Acts to 40 times the produce of a rate of 1p in the pound in the preceding year.
In 1982 the increase sought in these contributions was 5 per cent as compared with the increase of 12 per cent in rates, as was permitted by the Department of the Environment. For 1983 the corresponding figures are 2.15 per cent and 5 per cent respectively. It will be seen, therefore, that the statutory demands are less than the permitted revenue increases.