§ 2.37 p.m.
§ Baroness Lane-FoxMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help the British apple and cherry industry to re-establish a firm place in the domestic market.
§ Lord SandysMy Lords, successful marketing depends on efficient production and quality, as well as market supply. The Government are helping to achieve this through the Capital Grant Schemes, an extensive Research and Development programme, free advice from the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service and measures to improve quality. They have also made a major contribution on marketing apples by their financial support for the Kingdom scheme.
§ Baroness Lane-FoxMy Lords, can my noble friend state the prospects of the British apple industry's campaign to promote Cox's Orange Pippins, at least on level terms with French Golden Delicious?
§ Lord SandysMy Lords, the efforts being made by Her Majesty's Government are against a background in which there is no price determination for apples under the arrangements. Nevertheless, the present campaign concentrates upon advertising on the media, through packaging and in other ways. It is difficult at this stage to quantify the results of only two years' work, which have just ended. Nevertheless, the Apple and Pear Development Council are continuing the scheme and intend to widen it to include more varieties.
§ Lord Elwyn-JonesMy Lords, is it not the case that 466 the sale of Cox's Orange Pippins has greatly overtaken that of the Golden Delicious?
§ Lord SandysMy Lords, I wish that I could advise the noble and learned Lord, Lord Elwyn-Jones, that that is the case. But I regret to say that it is not, because output of dessert apples in this country in the last season was thought to be 146,000 tonnes, compared with 162,000 tonnes in 1980, whereas Golden Delicious apples, which take up 70 per cent. of all apples marketed in this country, amount to approximately 370,000 tonnes, with other varieties as well.
§ Baroness Trumpington. My Lords, may I ask my noble friend the Minister two questions: First, is it true that many Kentish farmers have grubbed up their cherry trees, and that last year it was extremely difficult to buy British cherries, because of the flood of cherries that came from overseas? Secondly, returning to the subject of Cox's Orange Pippins, what about the export figures? Do we not feel that we could show the French a thing or two?
§ Lord SandysMy Lords, I am sure that my noble friend is right, so far as the quality of British apples is concerned. So far as her question relating to cherries is concerned, I have no figures about the Kentish orchards which have been grubbed up. Nevertheless, I should like to advise my noble friend that in the season 1980–81 the value of cherries was no less than £4.6 million, although the figure varies considerably from year to year.
§ Lord Cledwyn of PenrhosMy Lords—
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, may I just come back?—
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, my point is that I do not think my noble friend answered the question about exports.
§ Lord SandysMy Lords, I am afraid that, to date, we have no figures on the export of cherries or, indeed, of Cox's Orange Pippins.
§ Lord Cledwyn of PenrhosMy Lords, would the noble Lord agree that the present support system, if one looks at its operation over a period of time, is biased against the British apple producer? Secondly, would he agree that it is high time that the Commission was pressed very hard to reduce the level of withdrawal prices for Golden Delicious to eliminate unfair treatment? If this is not done, then the figures which he has quoted will be perpetuated into the future, and the British apple grower will continue to be unfairly treated.
§ Lord SandysMy Lords, I think that, with his long experience at the Ministry of Agriculture, the noble Lord will know that my right honourable friend Mr. Walker is well aware of the present situation. It is one of the reasons why he put in hand the Kingdom scheme, in order to enable the marketing of British 467 apples to take place on a less disadvantageous basis than hitherto.
Lord HawkeMy Lords, have Her Majesty's Government noticed that the British fruit industry has steadily declined ever since bird preservationists persuaded Parliament to pass bird preservation orders, and small boys no longer collect birds' eggs?
§ Lord SandysMy Lords, I am aware that the loss of certain crops—and this particularly applies to cherries—can be attributed to bird damage. Nevertheless, I think that the figures as to what the precise loss is should be approached with caution.
§ Baroness Lane-FoxMy Lords, may I therefore be convinced by what my noble friend has said that apple growers can now rest fairly assured that their wares will be better enabled to compete with foreign imports?
§ Lord SandysMy Lords, yes, to the extent that the advertising campaign has shown some improvement and, further, that the capital grants available for horticulturalists under the agricultural and horticultural grant scheme, the agricultural and horticultural development scheme and the agricultural and horticultural co-operation scheme were revised only two years ago and rationalised to assist this very purpose, among others.
§ Lord LeatherlandMy Lords, will the noble Lord undertake to see that the Government are very careful about what they do concerning apples, remembering the trouble that was caused by apples in the Garden of Eden?