§ 1. Mr. Kitsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he intends to take to assist the warble fly eradication campaign; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. John Mackie)A vigorous advisory and publicity campaign aimed at persuading farmers to adopt methods for the control of the warble fly was started by my Department last autumn, the best time to treat cattle with systemic insecticides. It will be continued in the spring when systemic or derris dressing will be recommended as appropriate, and renewed in time to encourage preventive dressing in the coming autumn.
A National Warble Fly Campaign Committee, representative of the Farmers' 352 Unions, the hide and leather trades, and other interested organisations, has been set up at the instigation of the Ministry, and I hope that this Committee will supplement the Ministry's efforts to arouse an awareness among stock owners that the warble fly pest can and should be eliminated.
§ Mr. KitsonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that organophosperous systemic insecticides are subject to a 15 per cent. surcharge? Will he urge the Chancellor of the Exchequer to remove this tax from them?
§ Mr. MackieI have some knowledge of the amount required to dress one animal, and I do not imagine that, even with the expert statisticians we have in the Ministry, we could calculate the amount which has been put on to the price by the surcharge.