HC Deb 04 December 1958 vol 596 cc1337-8
5. Mr. Braine

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes to take both to reduce the damage caused to growing crops by chemical spray drift and to provide a more satisfactory basis of compensation to growers who sustain losses from this cause.

Mr. John Hare

Steps are already being taken through advice and research to help to reduce damage to crops from spraying. The question of compensation is one for the representatives of the industries concerned to consider and the Association of British Manufacturers of Agricultural Chemicals and the National Farmers' Union have agreed to meet for this purpose.

Braine

Is my right hon. Friend aware that talks have beet going on for many months past, so far with no results? Is he further aware that damage in Essex is particularly heavy, and in a very high proportion of the cases in Essex horticulturists suffered damage, as in my constituency in the area between Rayleigh and Rochford? Will he do his level best to inject a little urgency into this matter?

Mr. Hare

I certainly take my hon. Friend's point. I have said that a new meeting between these two responsible bodies is shortly to take place, and I hope that what my hon. Friend has said will be brought to their attention.

Sir L. Ropner

As this problem is very widespread, can my right hon. Friend give the House an indication of the number of complaints he receives in a week or a month, or state the extent of the damage which goes on all over the country?

Mr. Hare

I cannot give the detailed information which my hon. Friend wants, but this is chiefly a problem in the Eastern Counties—in my own part of the world, Suffolk, and Kent—and I think that my hon. Friend the Member for Essex, South East (Mr. Braine) was perfectly justified in saying that it causes a good deal of local concern.