4 and 5. Mr. J. Wellsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what has been the value of exports of pedigree livestock in each year of the last 10 years;
(2) what has been the value of exports of agricultural and horticultural produce other than pedigree livestock in each year of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. SoamesI am sending my hon. Friend tables showing the details for which he asks, and I will also place a copy of the tables in the Library of the House. Over this 10 year period exports of breeding cattle increased from£490,000 to£790,000 (an increase of 60 per cent.), and exports of agricultural and horticultural produce more than doubled, from£23 million to£49 million.
Mr. WellsI am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that Answer and the good news it contains. Can he give any information about the steps which the Government are taking to forward this most important export?
§ Mr. SoamesYes, Sir. Both my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and I are doing everything we can to bring the importance of this matter to the notice of potential exporters, and a large number of societies and organisations have had talks either with the Board of Trade or my Ministry on this subject in the last year.