§ 8. Mr. Gerald Howarthasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the operation of the scheme for the sale of potato quotas.
§ Mr. MacGregorThis is a matter for the Potato Marketing Board. However, at my request the board has re-examined the operation of the quota system and has introduced greater flexibility.
§ Mr. HowarthGiven that about half our potato consumption consists of imports, does my hon. Friend agree that it would be best to wind up the board? If the producers want the board, let them finance it out of their own resources, rather than making further calls on taxpayers' funds.
§ Mr. MacGregorJust this morning in Committee we passed amendments relating to the Potato Marketing Board which have had thorough consideration and are supported by more than 97 per cent. of growers. If the proposals go through Parliament as a whole, the growers will be paying a higher levy and the Government's open-ended commitment on deficiency payments will be withdrawn.
§ Mr. Geraint HowellsCan the Minister give an assurance to potato producers that the Government have no plans to abolish the Potato Marketing Board?
§ Mr. MacGregorAs today, with the approval of the Committee, I have carried amendments in regard to the Potato Marketing Board which will last for five years. I think that the position is clear.
§ Mr. ColvinNow that we have a scheme for the sale of potato quotas, why can we not also have a perfectly controlled scheme for the sale of milk quotas, which is a form of marketing that is favoured by both the National Farmers Union and the Milk Marketing Board?
§ Mr. MacGregorMy hon. Friend will know that that was in response to a paper which we put out recently suggesting various alternatives for greater flexibility in the milk levy sytem. That is one possibility that we will consider in response to all the representations that we have received, but it will have to be negotiated in Brussels.