Wales

HC Deb 24 March 1965 vol 709 cc557-8

34. Mr. Gower

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes he has made in separating information and statistics about agriculture in Wales from similar information and statistics about agriculture in England, since the creation of the office of the Secretary of State for Wales; and what administrative changes or other steps he will take in view of this change.

Mr. John Mackie

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given to the hon. Member for Denbigh (Mr. Morgan), on 16th February. As part of the review of Welsh statistics which is being carried out by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, we shall be discussing with him what further agricultural statistics for Wales separately can be provided. Since the creation of the office of the Secretary of State for Wales the Ministry's own Welsh Department at Aberystwyth has been strengthened by the addition of a chief executive officer responsible for, among other things, statistics and information.

Mr. Gower

Has the hon. Gentleman noted that his right hon. Friend the Prime Minister stated that even in Departments for which the Secretary of State for Wales does not have executive powers he will, nevertheless, have an important say? Is he satisfied that these changes will enable him to make an intelligent assessment of the particular needs of Welsh agriculture?

Mr. Mackie

Yes, Sir. That is so, but, there is a tremendous amount of statistics which can be got from the Welsh digest of statistics published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office and more detailed tables prepared by the Ministry's Welsh Department in its annual digest of Welsh agricultural statistics. There is a large volume of statistical information, largely on a county basis, and there is the Government Report on Wales, published appropriately on St. David's Day, which also gives an enormous amount of statistics for Wales.

Mr. Stodart

If the hon. Gentleman is looking at agricultural statistics generally, will he cast his eye towards the Scottish Office, where the statistics are a model to these and better than the English ones as a whole?

Mr. Mackie

I always appreciate a plug for Scotland.