§ 2. Mr. Bodyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will state the number of chick placings for the last available three-month period and the number for the corresponding period in the year before.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. James Hoy)With permission,
| CHICK PLACINGS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM | ||||||||
| 1966 | 1967 | |||||||
| Egg layers | Table Poultry | Other including breeding | Egg layers | Table Poultry | Other including breeding | |||
| March | … | … | 6.34 | 14.53 | 0.51 | 6.28 | 16.71 | 0.31 |
| April | … | … | 7.08 | 19.23 | 0.61 | 7.07 | 21.57 | 0.46 |
| May | … | … | 4.69 | 15.12 | 0.39 | 4.82 | 16.95 | 0.31 |
| 18.11 | 48.88 | 1.51 | 18.17 | 55.23 | 1.08 |
§ Note: The 1967 figures are provisional.
§ 3. Sir J. Langford-Holtasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what amount at 1966 farm prices he expects to increase production by 1970.
§ Mr. PeartFigures on the basis of 1966 farm prices are not readily available. But our production objective for the industry continues to be that it should meet a major part of the additional demand expected by 1970 for temperate foods, put at some £200 million at 1964 import prices, and also much of the cereals required for the increase in livestock production.
§ Sir J. Langford-HoltThe Minister has referred to "the major part". Can he go to the extent of saying that it is his policy that our home industry shall
§ I will circulate the information in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. BodyWill the Minister also circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT information showing whether it is a reliable estimate that if the present trend continues we shall have 3 million fewer laying hens next year? Is not that a reflection on the total loss of confidence on the part of egg producers in the right hon. Gentleman's policy?
§ Mr. HoyThe hon. Member is quite wrong. Figures of chicks placed for egg laying in the United Kingdom show a slight increase in the period March-May, 1967, over the same period for 1966. The same is true for the 12 months period, June, 1966 to May, 1967, compared with the previous year.
§ The figures for the last available three-month period, and for the corresponding period in the year before, are as follows:
§ produce an increasing percentage of our requirements?
§ Mr. PeartI have repeated over and over again—I did it when I referred to the National Plan from an agricultural point of view—that we expect the major proportion to be from British farmers.
§ 13. Mr. Godberasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the expansion of agricultural production within the programme of the National Plan.
§ Mr. PeartThe agreed machinery for keeping under review progress towards the objectives of the selective expansion programme is the Annual Review. Progress was examined at the Annual Review earlier this year and was summarised in the Annual Review White Paper.
§ Mr. GodberWe all remember what that White Paper said, that—in the Minister's own words—there was stagnation in the industry. Does he still adhere to the National Plan target? I understood from an earlier answer today that he does. If so, how does he think that he will get the 5 per cent. expansion which is necessary this year to be anywhere near on target?
§ Mr. PeartYes, I am quite confident. The beef herd has expanded. The dairy herd, which had shown no increase at the time of the White Paper, has shown an improvement; there is an increase in the number of cows and heifers in calf. The pig breeding herd had declined, as I admitted, but the June sample indicates a recovery. The right hon. Gentleman is pessimistic. I am not.
§ Mr. BakerHow can the Minister justify continuation of this selective programme of expansion when the rate of slaughter of calves is continually rising?
§ Mr. PeartWhen the hon. Gentleman looks at the figures—I hope that he will soon see the June returns—he will see that confidence is returning to the industry. This is recognised by producers, despite the political remarks sometimes made by hon. Members.
§ Mr. StodartThe right hon. Gentleman complains that his expansion programme is being talked down by the spreaders of gloom. Is he aware that, long before Question Time today, lamb prices and fat cattle prices in Scotland dropped by 40s. a cwt.? Is not this an example of the devastation of his policy?
§ Mr. PeartThe hon. Gentleman must accept that the guarantees have been good, and this is important to the producer.
§ Mr. JoplingBefore the Minister accuses us any more of talking down the beef market, will he study the words of his right hon. Friend the Leader of the House yesterday, when he said that there was a serious situation in the beef industry?
§ Mr. PeartI have said that in relation to imports coming in, and I have tried to analyse the reasons for depression in our market. But, at least, my Review decisions meant increased guarantees to producers.