72. Brigadier-General Brownasked the Minister of Agriculture what steps are being taken to end the deadlock between the boards in the bacon industry; and when will new contract forms be introduced?
§ The Minister of Agriculture (Mr. W. S. Morrison)Consultations with the Pigs and Bacon Marketing Boards regarding the future organisation of the bacon industry are at present proceeding, and I am riot, therefore, in a position to make any statement with regard to the re-introduction of the contract system for the supply of pigs to bacon curers.
§ Mr. MorrisonI would rather not make a forecast; the matter is not entirely in my hands.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsNow that there is no marketing scheme for pigs or bacon in existence, are we to take it that there will 250 be no further restriction of imports of bacon until a marketing scheme has been prepared?
§ Mr. MorrisonIt is not strictly true that no marketing scheme for pigs or bacon is in existence. It is true that the contract scheme suffered a check last Christmas, but the Government intend to maintain the import regulations in order to give the industry time to reorganise itself.
Mr. AlexanderIs the Minister not aware that the serious breakdown in the pig scheme is leading to a steady deterioration in the quality of the pigs provided for bacon, and that in consequence the market for British bacon is being seriously depleted?
§ Mr. MorrisonI do not accept all the allegations of the right hon. Gentleman, but I realise the urgency of this problem, and am doing my best to arrive at a speedy solution of it.