I propose taking Questions Nos. 140, 141, 143, 149 and 157 together.
Areas approved for inclusion in our disadvantaged areas will be published in advertisements in the local papers in the counties concerned after approval of those areas has been given and published by the EC. In this way, farmers whose areas have not been included will be made aware that these areas did not meet the five criteria for disignation of an area as disadvantaged, viz. (1) less than 7.8 per cent of the area is ploughed; (2) stocking rate is less than one adult bovine livestock unit per forage hectare; (3) the family farm income per male farm worker does not exceed 80 per cent of the national average; (4) there are not more than 27 people per square kilometre and (5) at least 30 per cent of the working population is engaged in agriculture.
I am satisfied that all areas were surveyed equitably and fairly on the basis of a very high random sample of farms. Every effort was made to ensure that the 50 per cent of farms surveyed in all areas were representative of the areas concerned. It is, of course, possible that, purely by mischance, in some small number of cases they were not.