HC Deb 26 June 1968 vol 767 cc434-5
17 and 18. Mr. Kimball

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) on what terms the National Seed Development Organisation acquires new seed varieties from the Agricultural Research Council stations;

(2) if he will ensure that in arriving at a sale price for new seed varieties the National Seed Development Organisation will make a realistic charge for development costs reflecting the £7 million of public funds expended by Government plant breeding establishments.

Mr. John Mackie

The plant breeding stations supported by the Agricultural Research Council make no charge for the small quantities of breeders' seed of new plant varieties supplied to the National Seed Development Organisation Ltd. for development purposes. In their guidance to the Organisation on general and financial policy, the Agricultural Ministers have stated that the Organisation will be expected to secure the best possible return on the public funds invested in plant breeding, to co-operate with the seeds industry wherever possible and to avoid unfair competition. I am satisfied that both in its prices to the trade for basic seed and in its royalty rates on protected varieties, the Organisation is following these principles.

Mr. Kimball

I hope the Minister realises the very grave concern in the trade about the danger of State intervention in a highly competitive market, £7 million spent on Government seed breeding, but most of us would like to see new varieties developed—

Mr. Speaker

Order. A question please.

Mr. Kimball

—new varities developed with public money made available to the trade by auction.

Mr. Mackie

I do not think the trade is quite so worried. We had long discussions with the trade. I know that some members of the trade felt that this organisation was established simply to deal with varieties used by our plant-breeding stations. It might have been operated in a different way, but this is a difficult problem. We think this is the right way to do it. After all, it has been going for only just over a year. We should give it a chance and see how it works.