AGRICULTURAL LAND OUTPUT (Hansard, 17 December 1975)

§ Lord SHINWELL
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ Lord STRABOLGI
My Lords, it is not possible to make an estimate of the kind requested by my noble friend. The Government, however, have set out in the White Paper Food from our own Resources their strategy for higher agricultural output into the 1980s. Assistance and advice is available for land improvement and a special advisory campaign was launched early this year to encourage the better use of grassland.

§ Lord SHINWELL
My Lords, I am obliged to my noble friend for that Answer, which is somewhat limited and vague. In view of the increased population which we must apprehend in the future, the increasing prices, the difficulty experienced by the Minister of Agriculture only today in coming to some agreement with the EEC about concessions being withdrawn in the matter of food prices, the question of national security and the need to defend ourselves in the event of aggression, and in view, also, of the vast number of submarines in the possession of the Soviet Union which could destroy our trade routes, is it not of the highest importance to find the necessary finance in order to stimulate agricultural production, and, at the same time, even in a limited fashion, to encourage the use of allotments?

§ Lord STRABOLGI
My Lords, I am sure there is a great deal, as always, in what my noble friend has said. The economic expansion of the United Kingdom's food production envisaged in the White Paper would by 1980 reduce our annual demand on imported food supplies by the equivalent of £500 million.

§ Lord SHINWELL
My Lords, that is extremely important and I am very grateful for that reply. The question is: how are we to achieve it? Can we rely on the Government—I cannot speak for future Governments—to use every endeavour in order to encourage agricultural production? For example, to spend a vast sum of money in a speculative fashion to produce more cars would be less helpful than to provide some part of that money to stimulate agricultural production.

§ Lord STRABOLGI
My Lords, the opportunities for economic reclamation of land from the sea and from wastes are few, and mostly long-term. But grant aid is available for the improvement of land, including drainage and the regeneration of grassland in the hills. In the last five years over 600,000 acres in England and Wales have benefited from such aid. An advisory campaign has also been launched to improve the utilisation of grassland, and we have been examining possible adjustments to grant aid to encourage this.

§ Lord POPPLEWELL
My Lords, will my noble friend also draw the attention of his right honourable friend to the need to look at some of the new motorways which are being built, such as the Aire Valley scheme in Yorkshire? A vast amount of agricultural land will be taken there, although there are already alternate routes, such as under-used railways, and a slight extension of the A1could deal with the traffic and prevent the taking away of some 36 additional miles of agricultural land.

§ Lord STRABOLGI
My Lords, we shall certainly note carefully what my noble friend has said. The Government's policy for safeguarding agricultural land is positive. It seeks to steer development to the lower quality land whenever possible, and to ensure that the amount of land taken is no greater than is reasonably required to maintain proper standards of development

§ Lord LEATHERLAND
My Lords, will my noble friend also carefully note what I am going to say? Is he aware of the fact that vast acreages in the North of Essex are destined, under a recently disclosed plan, to be used to extend and expand the airport at Stansted, and will he represent to his right honourable friend the undesirability of such a step?

§ Lord STRABOLGI
My Lords, that is quite another question. But we will certainly take note of the general point made.

§ Lord KINNAIRD
My Lords, bearing in mind the vast changeability of the Government—not this Government, but all Governments—does the Minister agree that suitable agricultural land might be more fully utilised if it was felt that Government guarantees were treated as guarantees, and were not liable to change?

§ Lord STRABOLGI
My Lords, we shall certainly take note of what the noble Lord has said. I may say that the Community Land Act does not, of course, affect this point at all. Local authorities can already acquire land under previous powers and are aware of the need to manage it effectively prior to development

§ Lord SANDYS
My Lords, I hope that the Government will pay particular attention to the points raised by the two noble Lords opposite, in regard to the need for revision of the policy of protecting good agricultural land, and to the exchanges which have taken place this afternoon.

§ Lord STRABOLGI
My Lords, we shall certainly do that. In England and Wales, joint Department of the Environment and Welsh Office circulars advise local planning authorities to consult the Ministry of Agriculture about proposals to develop agricultural land for nonagricultural purposes; and, of course, similar arrangements apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

§ Lord GISBOROUGH
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that there is a great shortage of potatoes—and, consequently, high prices—and that the overall expenditure would probably have 1430 been very much less for the country had there been a higher guaranteed price?

§ Lord SHINWELL
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that I am very grateful for the interest which has been aroused by this Question? Finally, may I ask whether there is anything in the provisions of the Treaty of Rome which prevents us from developing our land to suit ourselves?

§ Lord STRABOLGI
My Lords, the Commission's proposals for 1976–77 were presented to the Council of Ministers yesterday and they need careful examination. They seem to hold out the prospect of useful improvements in the milk and cereal sectors. However, we have made clear our intention to retain a satisfactory beef régime next year, and the Commission's proposals to phase out premia are not acceptable.