§ 41. Mr. Wolrige-Gordonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many people are now working in agriculture.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. John Mackie)There were 308,000 regular whole-time workers in agriculture, including horticulture, in the United Kingdom at June 1969.
§ Mr. Wolrige-GordonWill the Minister indicate how his much-vaunted selective expansion programme for agriculture has not succeeded in arresting the decline in employment in the industry?
§ Mr. MackieThere is no indication that the fall in the labour force has had any effect on the expansion programme. This last year the drop in the number of workers is down compared with the year before.
§ Mr. GodberWill the hon. Gentleman explain the reason for the lamentable failure of the Government's expansion programme, which is lagging so far behind target?
§ Mr. MackieI do not agree that it is lagging behind target, and I do not think that it has anything to do with the question of 308,000 regular whole-time workers.