§ 23. Lieut.-Colonel Bromley-Davenportasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his attention has been called to the substantial fall which has occurred in the wholesale price of bacon in the last few weeks, with the result that British bacon curers are now faced with the alternative of passing on to pig producers the full effect of the fall in the bacon market and thus losing supplies, or of incurring substantial losses in order to pay the prices necessary to maintain an adequate supply of pigs in the face of the competition of the pork market; and when he expects to be in a position to ensure to the British bacon industry a more stable future.
§ Mr. John HareThe price of bacon has fallen in recent weeks but the operation of the price guarantees shields the pig producer against the full impact of the fall. The increase in the guaranteed price for pigs and the adjustments to the guarantee arrangements, which were announced in the White Paper (Cmnd. 970) published on Thursday last, will, however, be of considerable assistance to the bacon industry as well as to producers.
§ Lieut.-Colonel Bromley - DavenportWill my right hon. Friend tell the British farmer straight out whether he wants him to go on producing bacon pigs or not, so that he knows where he is? Is he aware that the White Paper gives him very little encouragement? If bacon factories continue to go out of existence, will my right hon. Friend consider taking further remedial action?
§ Mr. HareMy hon. and gallant Friend is not quite right. I have the White Paper before me, and I will quote from it:
For pigs the aims should be to secure a moderate increase in the breeding herd, but to avoid an increase to a level which would put an unreasonable burden on the taxpayer.916 That is a perfectly reasonable statement of the intention. I have said several times that I would welcome this moderate increase. My hon. and gallant Friend asked about the bacon curers. They benefit substantially—indirectly— from the Government's guarantees to pig producers and, with the recent steps which we have taken to help, I think that they should be in a better position.
§ Mr. H. HyndAs there is growing concern on both sides of the House about the large sums of public money being used as subsidies, will the Minister try to explain to his hon. and gallant Friend the virtues of unsubsidised private enterprise?
§ Mr. HareThe hon. Gentleman is rather apt to get up and say he resents the sum of money which goes to subsidise the farming industry. He knows that I do not agree with him there. The farming industry plays a great part in the economy of our country and should be encouraged in the way we do encourage it.