BRADFORD CORPORATION (TROLLEY VEHICLES) ORDER CONFIRMATION BILL (Hansard, 21 July 1958)

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES
My Lords, I understand that no Amendments have been set down to any of these 7 Bills, and it may be to the convenience of the Committee if we deal with them and report them altogether to the House. Needless to say, if any noble Lord has a point to raise on any of these Bills we will certainly deal with it if he will mention it.

THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD) (EARL WALDEGRAVE)
My Lords, in moving that this Order be approved, may I say that I think it would be convenient to your Lordships to consider at the same time the Scottish Order, which is identical in all material aspects. Subsidies on calves may be paid under schemes at present in force, and they apply to calves born up to 29th October, 1958. The schemes now before your Lordships for approval provide for continuing the schemes for a further three years. The rates of subsidy under the present schemes are £7 10s. 0d. for heifer calves and £8 10s. 0d. for steer calves, and neither the rates nor the conditions under which they are paid are altered by the proposed schemes.
As your Lordships know, the purpose of the subsidy is to encourage the rearing of calves for beef production. It amounts, in effect, to an advance payment for beef cattle and is of particular value to small farmers. Since the subsidy was introduced there has been a considerable increase in the retention of steer calves from the dairy herd which were previously being killed at a few days old. The figures show that we are getting a useful expansion in the number of calves retained for beef, and I am confident that the calf subsidy is making a very valuable contribution to this. The calf subsidy has been operating now for rather more than ten years. It is accepted generally throughout the farming community, and I feel that it is still performing a worthwhile function and will continue to do so. I therefore commend this scheme to the House with confidence.

§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH
My Lords, there is no question at all that this kind of scheme is doing a great deal to encourage the production of beef in this country, and having regard to the apparent breakdown in the negotiations with Australia about meat—and perhaps I might ask a question about that at a later date—it is essential that the beef supply in this country is kept up. However, whilst there is nothing in the Order on which one could raise any question, I am concerned with the rising volume of opinion that to refuse the subsidy on heifer calves from a breed like the Friesians—provided, of course, that they are kept purely for beefstock purposes—seems to be unreasonable. I gather that the steer calves of the Friesian types of cattle are eligible for the subsidy, but for some reason or other the Ayrshire calves do not qualify for the subsidy. I do not understand that either. I should have thought that a lot of Ayrshire steers were sold in the West of Scotland and I should like to know why it is that Friesian steer calves receive a subsidy and Ayrshires are excluded, although they are kept specifically for beef stock purposes.

EARL WALDEGRAVE
My Lords, the main reason for the exclusion of Friesian heifer calves, which admittedly if they are suitably reared and fattened will make perfectly good beef, and of the other single purpose dairy breeds—Jersey Guernsey and Ayrshire—is that they are mainly reared to go into dairy herds and the aim of this scheme is beef production. My right honourable friend has given this matter careful and earnest attention. If we were to pay this subsidy to Friesian heifer calves, it is estimated that 450,000 would qualify every year and that this would add £3 million to the cost of the subsidy without adding to our beef supply. I am afraid that we cannot, therefore, include Friesian heifers in the scheme.

§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH
My Lords, we have not had an answer yet about the Ayrshire steer calves. The estimate of 450,000 seems extraordinary to me, unless it 9 includes all heifer calves that pass into the Friesian herds. I should have thought that if the subsidy was relative to heifer calves specifically reserved for rearing as maiden heifers for beef, that would not be the figure.

EARL WALDEGRAVE
My Lords, I think that it would be extremely difficult to do what is suggested. We have either to give the subsidy to heifers or reject it. The reasons why we do not give it to store calves of purely dairy breeds is that they do not normally make good quality beef.

§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH
My Lords, I note with great interest that an Ayrshire steer is not supposed to make good beef. Apparently there are cases where it is possible that Ayrshire beef is as good as anybody else's.