§ Captain Kerbyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that the subsidy on eggs is costing over £1½ million a week; and whether in the interest of the taxpayer he will repeal his Order forbidding producers to sell eggs direct to shops, as such eggs do 214W not attract the subsidy, but do attract the housewife who is prepared to pay a premium for fresh unstamped farm eggs.
Mr. AmoryThe Answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes." As regards the second part, I intend to remove the restriction on sales, to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers, as soon as the present temporary scheme for applying the Agriculture Act guarantee to eggs can be replaced by more permanent arrangements.
§ Captain Kerbyasked the Minister of of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that the register of producers is not available for inspection at the office of the British Egg Marketing Board in London as required by paragraph 42 of the British Egg Marketing Scheme 1956; and whether he will take action to secure compliance with the Scheme.
§ Mr. GodberMy right hon. Friend is aware that the register, which at present consists of the actual application forms for registration, is not available at the registered office of the Board in London. He is informed, however, that it may be inspected and copied at the Board's Registration Office, Milk Marketing Board Buildings, Giggs Hill Green, Thames Ditton, Surrey, and that visits of inspection have, in fact, been made and copies taken.
The Board has had to deal with over 300,000 applications for registration and there has not been time to make copies of the application forms, which are required by the returning officer to be retained at Thames Ditton, until completion of the initial poll. In all the circumstances my right hon. Friend does not consider any action by him would be appropriate.
§ Captain Kerbyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, whether he is aware that the cost of the egg subsidy for 1956–57, at over £35 million, is over twice as much as originally estimated; whether he is further aware that at the Public Inquiry on the Egg Marketing Scheme held in February, 1956, the National Council for the Reduction of Taxation specifically pointed out that a further burden would be laid on the taxpayer if the scheme was permitted to be implemented; and what steps he proposes taking to ensure greater 215W accuracy in any future estimates dealing with a perishable commodity in a free market subject to the law of supply and demand.
Mr. AmoryThe Answer to each of the first two parts of the Question is "Yes." As regards the last part of the Question, while I shall continue to assemble all possible relevant information, any estimates made are, in the circumstances stated by my hon. and gallant Friend, bound to be subject to large margins of possible error.