§ 20. Mr. du Cannasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the total award in the recent Price Review was agreed by the three United Kingdom farmers' unions.
Mr. AmoryThe statement on the Price Review which I made to the House on 15th March contained the phrase.
in the prevailing circumstances they—that is the farmers' unions—
would not have wished to dissent from the total increase in the guarantees..."— [OFFICIAL REPORT. 15th March, 1956; Vol. 550, c. 563.]but went on to make it clear that they felt unable to agree to the price determinations or to the changes to be made in the fatstock guarantee system. This statement was agreed verbatim with the leader of the representatives of the three farmers' unions.Sir James Turner has told me that he did not and does not dispute the explanation which I gave to the House on 30th April that, in order to secure the Government's acceptance of the farmers' unions' schedule of price changes, they would, in all the circumstances, have been prepared
422 to accept a total increase in the guarantees of £25¼ million, and that any statements issued recently by the unions do not call my explanation of 30th April in question.
§ Mr. du CannIs my right hon. Friend aware that the representatives of the National Farmers' Union are stating publicly that the total award is not agreed? Is it a fact that during the discussions the farmers' unions issued a schedule of prices totalling £25¼ million which they said they were prepared to accept, and will my right hon. Friend consider perhaps issuing an agreed communique after the next Price Review in order to avoid unhappy situations of this sort?
Mr. AmoryI am sure that my hon. Friend would agree from what I have said that it is clear that the farmers' unions put forward price changes which would have made a total of £25¼ million acceptable to them. They were understandably not prepared to agree to a global figure in isolation from a schedule of prices changes.
Mr. H. WilsonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that if this Price Review result had been announced five weeks earlier, the hon. Gentleman who has put this Question would not be here?
§ Lieut.-Colonel Bromley-DavenportIs my right hon. Friend aware that the statement which he has just made will come as a profound shock to farmers all over the country? is he further aware that the National Farmers' Union has denied that it agreed to the total award? Therefore, is there not some misunderstanding somewhere, and could my right hon. Friend make a statement over the radio so that all farmers know what they do not know already, which is the truth?
Mr. AmoryThese matters are complicated, and it is very easy for misunderstandings over the interpretation of words to arise through no one's fault, but I am quite sure that the explanation that I have given today will ensure that there is no further misunderstanding about what happened at this Annual Price Review.