HC Deb 09 May 1962 vol 659 cc420-1
12. Mr. Ridley

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average value in pounds sterling, of agricultural production per person employed in agriculture in 1961, in the United Kingdom and in the European Economic Community.

Mr. Soames

I regret that comparable figures are not available. It is not possible to obtain comparable statistics of the value of output or comparable definitions of persons engaged in agriculture. Moreover, a calculation based on prevailing farmers' prices in each country would reflect the systems and levels of farm support as well as differences in productivity.

Mr. Ridley

Is this not quite extraordinary? How on earth are we to compare the agricultural systems in the respective countries if we cannot have figures such as these? It makes it far harder to assess the balance of advantage. I believe that such figures would show great advantage to British farmers if we joined the Community. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that?

Mr. Soames

Perhaps it would help my hon. Friend if I were to give the figures in a slightly different way. The proportion of the total active population engaged in agriculture in the United Kingdom is about 4 per cent. and the proportion of the total gross domestic production which that percentage produces is about 4 per cent., whereas in the E.E.C. countries together, according to published information, the proportion of the total active population engaged in agriculture is about 21 per cent. and it is producing about 11 per cent. of the total gross domestic production.

Mr. Walker

Would not my right hon. Friend agree that those figures indicate that there is tremendous scope for improvement in the agricultural production of the Common Market countries? Are not their standards of mechanisation and building lower than ours? Are not these things in which they can make progress? Would my right hon. Friend like to prepare a White Paper indicating the increase in their production which is liable to take place in the next ten years, to the disadvantage of British agriculture should we enter the Community?

Mr. Soames

It would be a very rash man who would prepare a White Paper in this country about what will be the state of agricultural production in other countries.

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