§ 48. Mr. Elystan Morganasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek to make a grant of £5 per acre for the ploughing of land on which grass or any non-cereal crop is to be grown.
§ Mr. John MackieNo, Sir. As we made clear in the Annual Review White Paper, the Government do not consider that there is a case for providing a special incentive for ploughing up land for grass except where the conditions of the Part II grant apply; but we are proposing to 538 introduce a grant for field beans, starting with the 1968 crop, and we shall be discussing with the farmers' unions the scope for the development of other break crops.
§ Mr. MorganWould not my hon. Friend agree that this type of grant would be a just form of assistance to those areas where cereal crops cannot easily be grown and would be conducive to improving the standard of grassland, a factor which will be of considerable significance in the event of our joining the E.E.C.?
§ Mr. MackieI agree with my hon. Friend, but I would not like to take part in a discussion of what will or will not be of help in the event of our joining.