HC Deb 04 July 1938 vol 338 cc54-5W
Mr. Richards

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the price of mutton and lamb is about 4d. per pound less than it was a year ago; and, seeing that the farmers who suffer in this case are for the most part small hill-farmers who have hitherto derived hardly any benefit from the various subsidies granted to the industry, whether he has any statement to make with regard to the position of these farmers?

Mr. W. S. Morrison

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a similar question by my hon. Friend the Member for Denbigh (Sir H. Morris-Jones) on 30th June.

Mr. Guest

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is satisfied that the recent fall in the price of mutton and lamb may be attributed to the fact that the volume of imports has been sufficient to cause an excessive supply in the home market; and whether he proposes to take any action under the Livestock Industry Act to effect a limitation of imports to assist British farmers?

Mr. W. S. Morrison

So far as I can judge, the recent decline in the price of home killed mutton and lamb cannot be attributed to any single cause, but, as regards the suggestion in the first part of the question, I would point out that prices of imported supplies this year have been steady, at or above last year's levels, and that total imports of mutton and lamb in the first five months of this year were some 150,000 cwts. less than in the corresponding period of 1937. With regard to the second part of the question, the arrangements at present in force in regard to imported supplies of mutton and lamb were given in reply to questions by my hon. and gallant Friends the Members for Buckrose (Major Braithwaite) and Tiverton (Lieut.-Colonel Acland-Troyte) on 9th May last, to which I have at present nothing to add.