To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the importance of hill farms to the rural economy in upland areas. [39123]

A recent economic evaluation of the Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances Scheme in England suggests that the relative importance of farming in upland areas in England is declining as the non-agricultural population increases. Agriculture, nevertheless, remains a significant employer in the Less Favoured Areas and we recognise the role that it plays in sustaining the upland economy, as well as the traditional upland landscape.