§ 21. Mr. Boydenasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking following his study of the position of the livestock industry to improve the conditions of hill sheep farmers.
§ Mr. StodartMy right hon. Friend announced on 6th October that the Hill Sheep Subsidy is to be increased by 7s. 6d. per head for the 1970 Scheme year to provide direct help for hill sheep farmers. He also announced that 1½d. per lb. was to be added to the guaranteed price for fat sheep for 1970–71. This will benefit the sheep sector as a whole.
§ Mr. BoydenIs the hon. Gentleman aware that many hill farmers in my constituency sold a great many sheep before the increase in prices and that the benefit of the increase went to lowland farmers, who were a good deal better off? Would the hon. Gentleman consider this problem of the hill farmers and do rather better?
§ Mr. StodartI take the hon. Gentleman's point, which has not escaped our attention. However, the hill sheep subsidy has been increased by 30 per cent., which is not a bad balance. To have driven the flocks back to the hills has been no policy at all; the prosperity of the low ground sheep sector is essential for the prosperity of the hills. This is what we have tried to do.