§ 11. Mr. Hastingsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on his plans for the future of the glasshouse industry.
§ Mr. Cledwyn HughesThe glasshouse industry is making rapid progress helped by assistance under the Horticulture Improvement Scheme and other measures. I expect it to continue to play its full part in the selective expansion programme.
§ Mr. HastingsDid the Minister notice that there was a responsible assertion the other day that increased costs to the glasshouse sector were as much as 16 per cent. for the single year 1967–68 and that growers at present cannot face this sort of increase and the credit squeeze with no margin left to cope? Will he agree that the time has come to change the present system of specific tariffs, which is right out of date, if we are to give growers a chance of a reasonable return on investment?
§ Mr. Cledwyn HughesI think the tariff system has given the industry very good protection. I ask the hon. Member to look at the other side of the coin. Since the "Little Neddy" examined agriculture's import savings rôle in England and Wales the glasshouse acreage is up by 294 acres, tomato acreage up by 103 acres and winter lettuce acreage up by 184 acres. This represents very good progress indeed.