-2- 4. Even if the reduction in the acreage payment were so calculated as to be balanced in gross amount by price increases, so that it could be shown that Northern Ireland farmers would not be worse off as a result of the change, it would not seem easy to justify the differentiation in acreage payment as between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. It has of course hitherto been the rule to treat Northern Ireland similarly to other parts of the United Kingdom where acreage payments - hill-sheep subsidies, etc.