APPLE AND PEAR DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) ORDER 1974

HL Deb 06 February 1975 vol 356 cc1007-9

4.30 p.m.

Lord STRABOLGI rose to move, That the Draft Apple and Pear Development Council (Amendment) Order 1974, laid before the House on 5th December 1974, be approved. The noble Lord said: My Lords, I must apologise to your Lordships for addressing you once again, but it was thought more convenient that we should take these two agricultural matters fairly near to each other—not necessarily convenient to me, but convenient to your Lordships in all parts of the House. This Amendment Order is presented for your Lordships' approval in accordance with the requirements of the Industrial Organisation and Development Act 1947 under which the principal Order was made in December 1966. It will have the effect of increasing from £3 to £6 per acre the maximum rate of annual charge which may be imposed by the Council upon commercial growers of apples and pears, and of substituting on 1st April 1976 metric units for existing references to imperial units of measurements.

My Lords, the principal Order, the Apple and Pear Development Council Order, was made in 1966 after my right honourable friend the then and present Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food had satisfied himself that substantial numbers of growers within the industry wanted a Development Council and that it had the full support of representa- tive organisations. It is now five years since the first review of the Council held in 1969, and in accordance with the 1947 Act my right honourable friend has again consulted the Council and organisations representative of persons in business and employment in the industry as to whether it should continue in being, and if so whether the Order of 1966 should be amended in any respect. My right honourable friend has found that the Council is still wanted by the National Farmers' Union, the National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers, the Transport and General Workers' Union and the Council itself. He is also in agreement with the Council's proposals, which are supported by the other organisations, to increase from next April the maximum rate of annual charge and to provide for a change-over to metric units from April 1976.

My Lords, the details of this Draft Order relating to metrication are the most practicable possible and the timing of the change is in line with the programme of metrication agreed upon by, and for, the agriculture and horticulture industry. I feel I need not dwell upon these changes as they keep very closely to direct equivalents of the imperial units in the present Order, but I am sure noble Lords will wish to hear more from me about the proposal to increase the maximum rate of annual charge.

I must stress that we are here referring to a permitted maximum charge. It is to provide for possible increases in the Council's needs over the next five years at least. It is not a measure of what future annual charges might be, although it would be realistic to expect them to rise rather than fall. The need of the home industry for the services of the Council in the fields of publicity, research and development are likely to intensify during the next few years. The Council are, I think, doing an excellent job for our growers at a very low cost. The charge for 1974–75 is £2.70 an acre which is the same as the previous year and still below the £3 maximum set nearly five years ago. But if your Lordships need further reassurance, I would point out, if I may, that each year's charge is subject to the approval of the Minister.

My Lords, as the proposed amendments are fully supported by the representative organisations of those concerned in the industry, as I have said, and are necessary to the continuance of the Council, I take pleasure in commending them to your Lordships. I beg to move.

Moved, That the Draft Apple and Pear Development Council (Amendment) Order 1974, laid before the House on 5th December 1974, be approved.—(Lord Strabolgi.)

Earl FERRERS

My Lords, we are grateful again to the noble Lord for explaining this Order. As he said, it is simply an updating provision, making sure that the original Order is up-to-date with more modern practices and with the changeover to the metric system. This is, as we all know, inevitable, and will doubtless cause a lot of confusion to those who are to interpret it, but we accept the need for it. It also enables an enlarged levy to be paid at a later date. In view of inflation and the fact that the levy has not yet reached the maximum under the existing Order, this would seem to be an entirely reasonable request. My Lords, we support it.

On Question, Motion agreed to.