§ 1. Mr. MacGregorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, in order to remove current uncertainties, he will take action to ensure that United Kingdom vineyards and buildings thereon used in connection with the production of wine are defined as being for agricultural purposes.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Gavin Strang)The definition of "agriculture" in section 109 of the Agriculture Act 1947 includes the production of crops but excludes their processing and distribution. My right hon. Friend the Minister has no plans to extend the definition to wine-making at present.
§ Mr. MacGregorIs the Minister aware that this small but growing industry faces considerable uncertainty because of the threat that the buildings involved will be fully rated and that, because of the slim profit margins, the extra cost that this would entail may well force some growers out of business altogether? Will he therefore reconsider, with a view to so ruling, that the whole process is an agricultural one, as it is in the rest of the EEC, and so remove this uncertainty?
§ Mr. StrangI will certainly have a look at the point raised by the hon. Gentleman, because we want to encourage the small English viticulture industry. He will, though, wish to bear in mind that at present we do not give any grants towards processing. There are other forms of processing taking place on the farm in addition to wine making.
§ Mr. StrangThe hon. Gentleman ought to be careful about making statements like that. The English industry, being so small, is not subjected to any of the 885 constraints on planting which exist in the rest of the Community.