§ 12. Mr. Ian Gilmourasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make the payment of deficiency grants to farmers less dependent upon the strict observance of such procedures as that whereby a farmer is prejudiced in receiving his deficiency payments for cereals if his claim does not reach the Ministry before the appropriate closing date.
§ Mr. HoyAs my hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Secretary stated in reply to a Question from the hon. Member for Cornwall, North (Mr. Scott-Hopkins) on 11th December, he is reviewing the conditions governing acceptance of late claims, to satisfy himself that they are just and reasonable taking account of both the number of applicants whose claims are late and the overwhelming number of applicants who succeed in getting their claims in on time.
§ Mr. GilmourWhen the right hon. Gentleman is doing so, will he bear in mind that some farmers have borne grave and unnecessary hardship? Will he also bear in mind that it is unreasonable to expect farmers to have Civil Service minds and see to it that in future these regulations are carried out with greater flexibility and far less bureaucratic pedantry?
§ Mr. HoyWe do our best to meet cases where people quite legitimately make mistakes. I have made a number of them myself. Notices are sent to the farmers, and if they do not return their claims they get another notice before the closing date reminding them that they have not submitted applications. After all, it is the farmers who want to collect the money and we think it reasonable that they might send in applications for it.
§ Sir Knox CunninghamWhen will the Minister make the deficiency payment to potato growers of the 1960 crop in Ulster?