asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give figures to show what public funds have been paid out annually for the removal of hedges and ditches on farms for each year for which figures are available from 1970.

Grant paid on the removal of hedges on farms in the last eight financial years in England and Wales was as follows:

	£'000
1970–71	95
1971–72	132
1972–73	237
1973–74	296*
1974–75	207*
1975–76	154
1976–77	114
1977–78	95
* Amended figures

These figures include grant paid on hedge removal as an operation in its own right and on hedge removal where the operation forms an essential part of a field drainage scheme. Since 1st June 1976 no applications have been accepted for hedge removal as an operation in its own right.In addition, grants were payable under the horticulture improvement scheme for which details in the form requested are not available. It is estimated that about £11,000 was paid under this scheme, which is now closed.No separate figures for the filling-in of ditches are available.