§ 24. Mr. Ian Gilmourasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the rate of the introduction of centralised payments by the Egg Marketing Board; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HoyThis is a matter for the Board. Ministers cannot intervene in the Board's administrative arrangements save in the special circumstances provided for in the Agricultural Marketing Act, 1958. A complaint about the operation of the centralised payments system generally has been referred by Ministers to the Committee of Investigation under Section 19 of the Act.
§ Mr. GilmourIs not the hon. Gentleman aware that until they go over to centralised payments, producers are making an interest-free loan of 10s. a case to the Board and that at the present rate of striking this will mean some producers will be making a loan of something like £6,000, which they cannot afford? What is the Minister going to Flo about this?
§ Mr. HoyThe hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well that no Government has a right to interfere with the working of the Board except under these special circumstances. The Board has announced that the differential payment of 4d. a dozen will be accumulated and paid to each producer when he is transferred to the central payments system.