§ 12. Mr. Buchanan-Smithasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in the interests of home producers, he will consider the phasing of egg imports over the whole year rather than concentrating them at particular periods.
§ Mr. PeartI can assure the hon. Member that the Government have under consideration the future level of egg supplies.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithWhile thanking the Minister for his statement, may I ask him whether he would not agree that it is unfair to expect home producers to market their produce in an orderly fashion knowing that the bottom of the market can be knocked away by concentrations of imports in a particular period? Could he not do something more positive to protect the producers from these disastrous conditions over which they have no control themselves?
§ Mr. PeartThe hon. Member must know that imports of eggs are under 2 per cent. of total supplies in recent years and are considerably less, comparing the first four months of this year with a similar period going back even to 1963.
§ Mr. Maxwell-HyslopIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that when we are producing over 98 per cent. of our domestic egg consumption, any imports at all are liable to knock the bottom out of the market? I suggest that no further evidence is needed.
§ Mr. PeartThe hon. Gentleman is suggesting that in no circumstances should we 1701 import any eggs. That has never been the policy of this Government or of my predecessors.
§ Mr. BessellHas the right hon. Gentleman taken account of the large importations of eggs from Poland?