HC Deb 25 March 1957 vol 567 cc926-7

Considered in Committee under Standing Order No. 84 (Money Committees).—[Queen's Recommendation signified.]

[Sir CHARLES MACANDREW in the Chair]

That, for the purposes of any Act of the present Session to make further provision for guaranteed prices and assured markets for producers of agricultural produce in the United Kingdom; to authorise the payment of grants in respect of long-term improvements of agricultural land in the United Kingdom and in respect of certain transactions concerning such land.; and for other purposes relating to agriculture and the pig industry, it is expedient to authorize—

A. The payment out of moneys provided by Parliament of expenses incurred by any Minister of the Crown under that Act—

(1) in making payments or purchasing produce in pursuance of orders made there-under for providing guaranteed prices or assured markets for producers of wheat, barley, oats, rye, potatoes, fat cattle, sheep and pigs, milk, eggs, wool or other produce specified by order under that Act;

(2) in paying the following grants that is to say:—

  1. (a) grants towards the cost of long-term improvements for the benefit of agricultural land, of an amount not exceeding one third of the cost (or of an amount treated for the purposes of that Act as the cost) of the improvements;
  2. (b) grants towards the costs of transactions incidental to the formation of economic units of agricultural land, of an amount not exceeding one third of those costs.
such grants being payable in pursuance of applications made within ten years (or if so provided by order under that Act, twelve years) from the commencement of that Act, and not exceeding fifty million pounds (or, if so provided by order under that Act, fifty-five million pounds) in the aggregate;

(3) in making the following payments into the Exchequer of Northern Ireland in respect of expenditure incurred for the benefit of producers of agricultural produce in Northern Ireland, that is to say—

  1. (a) in any financial year during the period ending on the thirty-first day of March, one thousand nine hundred and sixty-two, sums not exceeding one million pounds;
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  2. (b) in any financial year during any subsequent period specified by order under that Act, sums not exceeding such amount as may be so specified,
subject in each case to provisions for the carrying forward of unexpended balances from year to year during the same period.

B. The payment out of moneys provided by Parliament of any administrative expenses incurred under that Act by any Minister of the Crown.

C. The payment into the Exchequer of any sums received or recovered by any Minister of the Crown in pursuance of that Act or any order made thereunder.—[Mr. Godber]

Resolution to be reported Tomorrow.