Hill Farmers (Hansard, 10 June 1982)

§ 5. Sir Hector Monro
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what additional resources will be available to hill farmers following the European Economic Community price agreement.

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
Hill farmers will benefit from the improved levels of support for sheep and cattle arising from the price settlement.

§ Sir Hector Monro
Will my right hon. Friend accept the thanks of agriculture generally for the negotiations that he and his colleagues carried out in Europe? He will have seen the recent figures, which show a drop in the income of hill farmers. Therefore, will be ensure that in the current year they receive the maximum grants and allowances to which they are entitled?

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for the first part of his question. One of the good things arising out of this price review is the better position of livestock producers in relation to cereal producers. That is something that we worked for and welcome. The hill livestock compensatory amounts have increased by more than 50 per cent. under this Government. That shows that we are concerned about the interests of hill farmers. Together with the better price agreement that we achieved this year, that should give them some assurance for the coming livestock year.

§ Mr. Bill Walker
Does my right hon. Friend agree that support of the hill farmer is an essential part of the policy 379 of preventing the denuding of the Highland glens, and that the Government's record in that respect is something of which we can all be proud?

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
I agree with that, and I am grateful to my hon. Friend for saying so. It is also important in another sense, in that our hill farmers contribute to the health of agriculture and the economy as a whole and also work for the benefit of British consumers.

§ Mr. Geraint Howells
Why will the Government not pay the £29 to our beef producers under EEC rules?

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
I assume that the hon. Gentleman is referring to the suckler cow subsidy. As he knows, the level of that was reduced in the price review. We have decided that we shall pay from our funds the amount by which it has been reduced, so that it will remain at the same level. It is an option whether we increase it and we have decided not to do so. On the other hand, however, the fact that we have an improvement in the beef premium scheme, where we have gone from 25 per cent. Community funding to 40 per cent., indicates the considerable extent of what we achieved in the price review.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
Have the proposals for a marginal land scheme been submitted to Brussels, and if so, what is happening?

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
They have not yet been submitted to Brussels. When we have completed consideration and preparation of the case, we shall do so.