§ 31. Mr. Woodnuttasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek to extend the scope of the Livestock Rearing Act, 1951 to enable the downs and hills of Southern England to qualify for the hill cow subsidy.
§ Mr. HoyHill cow subsidy has always been restricted to the livestock rearing areas of the North and West where farming conditions generally are especially difficult. We should not feel justified in extending it now to uplands in other parts of the country; but we had such areas especially in mind when the beef cow subsidy was introduced two years ago.
§ Mr. WoodnuttAs the uplands to which I refer—there are hundreds of acres in the Isle of Wight—are used for no other form of farming, would not the Minister, if he really intends to increase 441 the beef breeding herd, do best by extending the subsidy so that these lands could be put to use?
§ Mr. HoyThere are always difficulties in such cases. Whenever a line is drawn, there are the people within it and those outside it. We have to do our best to see that, if encouragement is given, it is given to those who deserve it. If we bring it further down the map, I do not know what we shall exclude.