HL Deb 04 July 1974 vol 353 cc439-41

7.40 p.m.

LORD STRABOLGI rose to move, That the Horticulture (Apple and Pear Growers) (Special Payments) Scheme 1974, laid before the House on June 19, be approved. The noble Lord said: My Lords, this Scheme is made under the Horticulture (Apple and Pear Growers) (Special Payments) Act 1974, which your Lordships approved early this year and which received the Royal Assent at the end of the last Parliament. It will supersede existing arrangements which have been operating under the authority of the Appropriation Act since August 1, 1973, and will differ from them only in so far as it takes account of an increase in the grubbing rates which were recently agreed with the Farmers' Union as part of a general revision of standard costs. The Horticulture (Special Payments) Act 1974 enables the making of schemes to provide special payments to commercial growers in predetermined sectors of horticulture who wish to cease production because of difficulties arising from our membership of the E.E.C.

The Scheme provides for payments to commercial growers of apples and pears who decide to give up production of cooking and dessert apples and dessert pears. To be eligible a grower must show that he had at least five acres of dessert or culinary apples or pears—excluding, of course, cider apples and perry pears—both at July 1, 1970, and at the date of application. The agricultural business must have been capable of yielding a sufficient livelihood at the time of the United Kingdom's entry into the E.E.C. An additional requirement is that apple and pear growing must constitute at least one-third of the activity of the business. Growers applying under the Scheme must agree to grub their entire acreage of at least one category—dessert apples, culinary apples or pears—and must undertake not to replant with trees of any of the eligible categories for five years. Application for approval under the Scheme must be made by July 31, 1976.

My Lords, limited use has so far been made of these arrangements. It would be very gratifying if it transpired that little further use was made of the Scheme, but we agreed with those who promoted the Bill and introduced the temporary Scheme last year under the previous Government that it was right to provide this escape route for those who feel they need it. My Lords, I beg to move.

Moved, That the Horticulture (Apple and Pear Growers) (Special Payments) Scheme 1974, laid before the House on June 19, be approved.—[Lord Strabolgi.]

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, we are grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Strabolgi, for having explained the purposes of this Scheme. As he quite rightly said, it is a Scheme made under an enabling Act made by the previous Government. As was explained at the time we, like the noble Lord, hope that the Scheme will not be greatly used. It is, as the noble Lord correctly said, a fall-back Scheme designed to help those who find that because we have gone into the Common Market they are unable to compete. We are glad that the Government have introduced the Scheme. We hope that it will not be used very much, but we feel it right that it should be there for all those who require it.