asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total cost in 1978–79 of land drainage grants, upland reclamation and improvement grants and any grant for farm improvements which involved hedgerow or woodland clearance.

The amounts of grant paid under the farm capital graint scheme and the farm and horticulture development scheme in England during the financial year 1978–79 were:

	£
For field drainage	12,694,566
For land reclamation and farm improvements in less favoured areas	1,485,047
For hedge removal where necessary to facilitate field drainage	33,131

Grant aid is not available for clearing woodlands or hedgerows. Where hedge removal is necessary for the proper functioning of field drainage or ditching work, or where thickets, which do not form part of existing field boundaries, obstruct cultivations, grant may be paid at the rate appropriate to that work. In addition, grant totalling £16,261,898 was paid to drainage authorities in respect of land drainage and flood protection work in England—excluding the Thames tidal defences.