§ Sir G. Owenasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the fact that the cost of wintering hill sheep on lowland farms has doubled and the fact that the price of hill sheep and lambs has materially decreased, he will consider rising the hill sheep subsidy to 10s. per head, or in any event to maintain the subsidy at its present level.
§ Mr. Tom WilliamsThe costs and receipts of hill sheep farmers in the past year were fully taken into account when the Government decided to reduce the rate of subsidy for the current year to 6s. per eligible ewe. According to the Government's information there had been an improvement in the economic position of hill sheep farmers in Great Britain equivalent on the average to about 2s. per ewe as compared with the previous year. The adoption of my hon. and gallant Friend's proposal could not, therefore, be justified.