§ 25. Major LEIGHTONasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will take some temporary immediate action to help the egg and poultry industry pending the issue of the report of the Reorganisation Commission?
§ Mr. ELLIOTThere is nothing that I can usefully add to the reply I gave on 11th June, to a question on this subject by my hon. Friend the Member for Ormskirk (Sir T. Rosbotham), of which I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy.
§ Mr. HANNONIs the Minister taking into account the very serious position of the poultry industry in this country, the number of people employed in it, and the fact that it is particularly ex-service men who have taken up poultry raising; and when can we have a statement as to the policy of the Government in respect to this industry?
§ Mr. ELLIOTThere was a statement giving our policy, and that was the statement to which I referred, and one should not forget that prices are rather better just now than they were at this time last year.
§ Major LEIGHTONHas my right hon. Friend power to make further restrictions on the imports of eggs?
§ Mr. ELLIOTOh yes. There is power under the Act of 1933, further to reduce the imports of foreign eggs into this country, and the Reorganisation Commission is sitting.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIs there anything in the Statute law to prohibit agricultural Members from constantly begging?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI would remind the hon. Gentleman of the questions that are often put on behalf of the miners by hon. Members opposite.