§ 34. Mr. N. McLeanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will consider amending the regulations implementing the Annual Price Review so as to change from 1st April to 1st January the date after which a calf has to be born to qualify for the increased rate of the calf subsidy.
§ Mr. N. MacphersonNo, Sir. The increase in the calf subsidy forms part of the Price Review determinations for livestock products, and for Price Review purposes the livestock year commences on 1st April. It would not, therefore, be either desirable or practicable to make changes retrospectively.
§ Mr. McLeanIs my hon. Friend aware that, although 1st April may be all right from the administrative and bookkeeping point of view, it is not all right from the farming point of view because it encourages late calving and will he therefore reconsider the matter?
§ Mr. MacphersonWe recognise that 1st April comes in the middle of the calving season, and it would perhaps have been a little more logical to start later, but we wanted to begin as early as possible.