§ 96. Mr. Ripponasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to assist hill farmers in Northumberland; and what he proposes to do to restore the market in black-faced sheep.
§ Mr. PeartPrices for hill sheep of black-face and other breeds largely depend on what other farmers are prepared to pay for store and breeding stock, and I want to see the market in better balance than in recent weeks. Hill farmers in Northumberland, as elsewhere in the United Kingdom, are, of course, assisted directly by the hill cow and hill sheep subsidies and many of them also get the calf subsidy or are helped indirectly by it. The profitability of hill farming will be carefully looked at in the course of the Annual Review.