§ Queen's Recommendation having been signified—
§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Agriculture and Forestry (Financial Provisions) Bill, it is expedient to authorise—
§ Mr. Peter L. Pike (Burnley)I shall be brief, because I do not intend to prolong the debate. I should simply like the Minister to confirm a few minor points. Paragraph (a) of the motion refers to premiums under the Community suckler cow scheme. The Minister will confirm that that part of the Bill will come into operation immediately once the Bill is enacted. It provides a legal basis and regularises the position on such payments, which have existed since 1980.
Paragraph (b) refers to grants to the verderers. Such payments have existed since 1973 and are covered in clause 4 of the Bill, which will come into immediate operation once the measure has completed its parliamentary passage, as will clause 3. Will the Minister confirm that that sum has not exceeded £10,000 per annum since 1973? Can he predict how that will continue?
My last point is on the main part of the Bill and the restructuring and reorganisation of the Agricultural Mortgage Corporation. The question of the £10 million——
§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Harold Walker)Order. That goes beyond the scope of the motion before the House.
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerThe motion relates to suckler cows and New Forest verderers.
§ Mr. Christopher Gill (Ludlow)I wish to make one small point about the suckler cow premium scheme. Will my hon. Friend the Minister urge his counterparts in the European Community to concentrate the support for the beef industry on the suckler cow scheme? In that way we shall serve the best interests of the beef industry and encourage that part of it which produces the quality beef for which this country has long had a good reputation. The special beef premium scheme does not necessarily go towards the production of beef that is entirely satisfactory to the housewife and at the end of the day the beef industry must satisfy her.
We can produce absolutely top quality beef——
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerOrder. It may be my mistake, but I do not know what suckler cows have to do with beef production. Am I mistaken?
§ Mr. GillWith all due respect, beef does come from the suckler cow herds.
I hope that my hon. Friend the Minister will bear in mind the fact that when we expend these moneys on suckler cows we are doing a worthwhile job for the British beef industry because it encourages the production of quality beef which can be used substantially to improve the market for the industry's product. I make the plea that future support through a premium is concentrated on that part of the industry rather than on other parts.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. David Maclean)Perhaps I can be helpful to you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and the whole House by saying that although some wonderful scientific and implant techniques are available these days, it is usually handy to have a cow first before producing beef cattle or calves.
I acknowledge what my hon. Friend the Member for Ludlow (Mr. Gill) said about the importance of the suckler cow premium system. In answer to the hon. Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike), we would expect the provisions on both the suckler cow scheme and the New Forest verderers' grants to come into operation as soon as the Bill is passed. I recollect that in no single year has more than £10,000 been granted.
§ Question put and agreed to.
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Resolved,
That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Agriculture and Forestry (Financial Provisions) Bill, it is expedient to authorise—