HL Deb 07 July 1959 vol 217 cc760-3

2.42 p.m.

THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD (EARL WALDEGRAVE) rose to move, That the Silo Subsidies (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) Scheme, 1959, be made in the form of the draft laid before this House on the 16th of June last. The noble Earl said: My Lords, with your Lordships' permission I will deal with the Silo Subsidies (Scotland) Scheme at the same time as the Scheme for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. These new Schemes constitute, in effect, a three-years extension of the present arrangements, which come to an end on July 31. The rates of subsidy and maximum grants payable remain the same, and I do not propose to burden your Lordships with details of the few minor modifications we have made.

I think your Lordships, however, would like to know that we have considered very carefully the suggestion that was made by the Caine Committee on Grassland Utilisation—that silo subsidies should be incorporated into the Farm Improvement Scheme. To adopt this suggestion would entail fresh legislation, and would mean creating a sort of scheme within a scheme. Further, the Silo Subsidies Scheme was deliberately weighted in favour of the smaller farmer, both by providing a relatively high rate of subsidy on individual items in the Schedule and by limiting the total amount of subsidy payable on any one agricultural unit. For these reasons we have concluded that we should continue the silo subsidies for a further period in their present form, and the National Farmers' Union agree with this conclusion.

We have, however, modified our administrative arrangements so that the Farm Improvement Scheme and the Silo Scheme can operate more easily side by side. Structures may qualify for grant under either scheme where they satisfy all the relevant conditions. We consider that a partnership in this case is more appropriate than a "take-over bid" and "merger". We consider that continuing the two Schemes without actually merging them meets the main point which the Caine Committee evidently had in mind. I beg to move.

Moved, That the Silo Subsidies (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) Scheme, 1959, be made in the form of the draft laid before this House on the 16th of June last.—(Earl Waldegrave.)

LORD WISE

My Lords, I am certain that we on this side of the House approve of these Schemes as being in the interests of agriculture generally and of advantage in allowing farmers to make good silage. There are just two questions that I would ask the noble Earl. Can he give the approximate number of silos, both tower silos and other kinds, which have been put up year by year? Can the noble Earl also give approximately the cost of the contribution which the Government make to the farmers for these particular silos?

VISCOUNT ELIBANK

My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl this question? He told your Lordships that the two Schemes are to run side by side. Does that mean that there will be a reduction in the administrative costs of the two Schemes?

EARL WALDEGRAVE

My Lords, if I may reply to the noble Lord, Lord Wise, first, the applications for new projects under the Scheme are running at about 7,600 a year. The cost is approximately £1¼ million in subsidy. I am afraid that I cannot give the noble Lord the figures for tower silos, as distinct from other types of silo. Perhaps I should say that one of the minor modifications of the new Scheme, to which I did not draw your Lordships' attention, is that the definition of a tower silo is rather more carefully laid down than it was before. I may be able to give the noble Lord these figures later. I do not think that the administrative costs of the new scheme will be substantially affected, but the fact that we are running these two Schemes without friction will mean that the wear and tear on farmers will certainly be reduced.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS-BOROUGH

My Lords, I gather from what he has said that the Minister is not; laying any special emphasis on the more modern types of construction of silos by way of encouraging self-feeding silos. The Ministry are still giving money for the erection of the old tower silos, which people have been constructing for generations, and not endeavouring to encourage the adoption of self-feeding silos.

EARL WALDEGRAVE

My Lords, if I may speak again, with your Lordships' permission, we do not direct in any way the type of silo to be built. The self-feeding type is certainly eligible and made more easily eligible by our inter-relation of the farm improvements scheme and the silo subsidies scheme. The modern type of silo is what is recommended by our Advisory Service.

On Question, Motion agreed to.