§ 12. Mr. Brewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the loss of productivity per agricultural worker in the months of November, December and January as a result of the introduction of British Standard Time in the light of representations he has received from the farming community.
§ Mr. John MackieNone, Sir. So far my right hon. Friend has received only one representation referring specifically to loss of productivity: this was in relation to horticulture.
§ Mr. BrewisIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the position in Scotland is different? My local branch of the N.F.U. reckons that there has been a 12 per cent. increase in labour costs owing to the dark mornings during these months. Will allowance be made for this in the Price Review?
§ Mr. MackieAs the hon. Gentleman knows, all increases in costs are taken into account in the Price Review.
§ Mr. FarrSurely the hon. Gentleman is aware that it is not good enough to say that he has received only one representation on this matter. Does he not realise that a great deal of discomfort and inconvenience has been caused to the farming industry throughout the country by British Standard Time?
§ Mr. MackieI answered the Question which the hon. Member for Galloway (Mr. Brewis) asked—namely, what representations my right hon. Friend had received? I cannot think why the hon. Gentleman should object to my answering the Question correctly.
§ Later—
§ Mr. FarrOn a point of order. Is it in order for the Minister, in referring to a Question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Galloway (Mr. Brewis), to say that he was asked only what representations he had received when, in fact, the Question asked what estimate he had made of the loss of productivity per agricultural worker?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. That is not a point of order for me. The hon. Gentleman has cost us one Question. He might have raised the matter at the end of Questions.