asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many farmers have been paid hill farming compensatory amounts grants since 1st January; and what is the average time between application and payment.

The closing date for applications for the 1976 payment of hill livestock compensatory allowances was 31st January. The bulk of the claims have now been received and are being examined by my Department. As about 25,000 claims will have to be processed, payments must be spread over a period; but a start has been made and I hope that it will be possible to complete the process during the next three months.