§ 35. Mr. Willeyasked the Minister of Agriculture the number of cattle on agricultural holdings at the latest available date; and the number at the corresponding date last year.
§ Sir T. DugdaleThe number of cattle in the United Kingdom in September, 1952, was 10,081,000, compared with 10,310,000 a year earlier.
§ Mr. WilleyDoes the right hon. Gentleman not realise that this continuing decline is very disturbing and must eventually affect beef production, and that it is time he did something drastic about it?
§ Sir T. DugdaleThe decline is, for the most part, in yearlings, and must show the downward trend in calf rearing in the preceding year. Actually, there has been an increase of more than 2 per cent. in the number of calves, and there is evidence that during the summer this increase has been accelerated.