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Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average age of hill farmers in (a) 1977, (b) 1987 and (c) 1997. [17417]
Mr. Morley
Information is not available for the years requested; the closest years are 1975, 1985 and 1995. The following table provides estimates of the average age of holders of hill farms based on analysis of age band data from the Structure Survey.
| Estimated average age of holders1 of hill farms2 in the United Kingdom | |
| Year | Average age3 |
| 1975 | 54 |
| 1985 | 56 |
| 1995 | 57 |
| 1 The holder of the farm is that (natural or legal) person in whose name the farm is operated. | |
| 2 A hill farm is defined as a farm wholly or mainly in less favoured areas. | |
| 3 A holder working on more than one holding will be represented more than once within the average. | |