HC Deb 02 February 1956 vol 548 cc1055-6
10. Mr. A. Henderson

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value of the annual rabbit crop in 1953 in terms of meat value, hatting and clothing value, and rabbit skin exports, respectively.

Mr. P. Thorneycroft

The only official figures of the value of the British rabbit are those relating to the export of undressed skins which, for 1953, were valued at £716,271. At the end of 1953 the trades concerned estimated that the annual value of the rabbit in terms of meat was about £7 million, and that the annual turnover of the fur felt hat industry, together with the value of exports of hatters' fur, was about £7½million. The use of British wild rabbit skins in clothing was stated to be small, amounting to no more than £50,000 to £70,000 a year on average.

Mr. Henderson

In view of these serious figures, has the President of the Board of Trade had consultations with his right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture about the overall effect of the extermination of wild rabbits? Is he proposing to take any action to deal with the problem, bearing in mind the very serious concern which is felt in the hatting and furrier industry in Lancashire, and the rabbit skin industry in other parts of the country such as Staffordshire?

Mr. Thorneycroft

I think there would be very little doubt, looked at purely from the economic point of view, that the benefits to agriculture from not having rabbits outweigh any advantage to the fur industry in having rabbits.

Mr. Vane

Would not the right hon. Gentleman agree that, in addition to the enormous damage done by rabbits to agriculture, an even greater proportionate amount of damage is done to the nation's forestry, far outweighing the value of any of the loss—which we deplore—mentioned by the right hon. and learned Gentleman opposite?

Mr. Henderson

Without taking sides, would the President consult his right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture because, while this may be important from one point of view if one is a farmer, it is equally important from another point of view if one is an employer of labour in the industries to which the Question refers?

Mr. Thorneycroft

I am always in close touch with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture.

Mr. T. Williams

Will the Minister tell the House whether he has had a discussion with the Minister of Agriculture and, if so, what the outcome of that discussion is?

Mr. Thorneycroft

The outcome is the Answer which I gave just now.