asked the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to safeguard the interest of sheep farmers in Wales during the next year; and if he will make a statement.

Support arrangements for the sheepmeat sector in the next year will be considered as part of the 1986 common agricultural policy price-fixing negotiations. The sheepmeat regime has brought substantial benefits to Wales and in the last marketing year 1984–85 payments of £39·8 million were made to Welsh sheep producers. In addition in 1984 payments to producers in Wales for sheep under the hill livestock compensatory allowances scheme totalled £17·9 million.