Eggs

HC Deb 18 March 1957 vol 567 cc5-7

7. Mr. Beswick

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations have been received from Continental countries about the export of British eggs receiving a subsidy.

Mr. Amory

Representations have been received from Denmark, Holland and Western Germany.

Mr. Beswick

Will the Minister say what he is doing about these representations in view of the fact that Germany has placed an import duty upon these eggs to counteract the subsidy, which virtually means that the British Treasury is subsidising the German Treasury? Would the right hon. Gentleman not agree that this is an abuse of a consumer subsidy, and will he see what he can do about it?

Mr. Amory

I would prefer not to anticipate the replies which I shall be sending to these representations, but I think it is important that we should keep the matter in perspective. For the year 1956, exports of our eggs amounted to £12,000 as against imports amounting to £6,200,000.

Mr. Nabarro

Is it not the fact that this difficulty has arisen very largely during the last few weeks as the result of the prodigious output of the hens? We have never had a situation of this kind before, and as it is reported that the egg subsidy is costing the British Treasury about £1 million a week at the present time, is not some urgent action called for?

Mr. Amory

I agree that the hens are exceeding all previous records.

Mr. Willey

Surely the right hon. Gentleman realises that this is very much to our prejudice. It is going to make it very difficult for us to complain of dumping, not only of eggs, if we go on doing this. Will the right hon. Gentleman treat the matter seriously?

Mr. Amory

I treat the matter as a serious question, but, in reply to what the hon. Gentleman said, I do not regard these exports as contrary to G.A.T.T. in its present form.

21. Mr. Willey

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was production of eggs for 1954, 1955 and 1956, respectively.

Mr. Amory

The production of eggs in the United Kingdom is estimated to have been 795 million dozen in the calendar year 1954; 815 million dozen in 1955; and 858 million dozen in 1956.

Mr. Willey

Can the Minister say how successful he is being, not only in increasing the production of eggs, but in making that production more even over the year, and so avoiding the difficulties into which we appear to be running at the moment?

Mr. Amory

That lies with the hens rather than with me.