HC Deb 15 March 1973 vol 852 cc1465-7
21. Mr. Maclennan

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the proposals of the EEC Commission for hill farming.

Mr. Anthony Stodart

The Commission has issued a draft directive on farming in mountainous and other less-favoured areas of the Community. The proposals include annual payments on a headage basis to hill livestock producers, on the model of our hill cow and hill sheep subsidies. Consultations with all member States are now proceeding; a number of points will need to be explored further before the Council takes a decision.

Mr. Maclennan

I welcome in general terms the principles underlying these proposals for a special system of aid to assist poorer farming areas, and the proposed income subsidies, but what is the Government's attitude to what I regard as the unrealistic limitation of this régime of special aid to 2.5 per cent. of the area of the nation State? Will the hon. Gentleman give the House an opportunity to study these proposals very carefully? Finally, can he say when these proposals are likely to come before the Council of Ministers?

Mr. Stodart

I cannot say anything worth while on the last point, but I shall try to reassure the hon. Gentleman on the figure of 2.5 per cent., which worried me considerably when I first read it. It does not apply over the whole field. I took the precaution—and I thought that I could not go to a better authority—of asking the Secretary of the National Farmers' Union of Scotland if he had spotted this. He reassured me that the union was satisfied that it did not mean what it appeared to mean.

Mr. Fletcher-Cooke

Can my hon. Friend say in general terms whether hill farmers will do better as a result of these regulations than without them?

Mr. Stodart

Because of the increased value of end prices, I believe that there will be a very good future for hill farmers, regardless of any question of our entry into the Community—a very much better future than there was a few years ago.

Mr. David Clark

We welcome the conversion of the EEC to a system of help for the hill farmers similar to that which we have adopted, but will the hon. Gentleman consider one suggestion? Since the easiest way of administering this help might be to have a body such as the rural development board, will he look into the possibility of re-establishing such a board—probably starting in the North Pennines?

Mr. Stodart

It is fair to say that the bulk of aid to the hill farmers has always been given in Scotland, for obvious reasons, and I would point out that Scotland does not have a rural development board.

Mr. Hicks

Will my hon. Friend clarify the position of capital grants at present available to hill areas? Will he also elaborate on the proposal to bring marginal land, as opposed to hill land, into the scheme?

Mr. Stodart

The improvement of hill land by the use of capital grants is highly desirable. It is not clear whether the directive covers this, and I should like to explore that question. On marginal grants it appears that the criteria of the directive are a little wider than our criteria. As my own farm is outside the hill areas, I declare my interest, and I hope profoundly that I shall not have to scratch quite so hard for a living as I do at the moment.