§ Miss Quennellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that a fighting committee has been formed by the regional committees of the Egg Marketing Board to resist the Government's proposals for the future of egg marketing; and by what authority staff paid out of public funds have been allocated to this committee.
§ Mr. Cledwyn HughesI am aware that a fighting committee has been formed following a meeting of the regional committees of the Egg Marketing Board and that the Board have agreed to provide secretarial assistance. There is no question however of such Board staff as may be involved being paid out of public funds. The subsidy under the egg guarantee arrangements is paid to the British Egg Marketing Board on behalf of egg producers generally under the powers of Section 1(2) of the Agriculture Act, 1957. Under the British Egg Marketing Scheme, 1956, the Board is required to operate a single fund into which all receipts (including the subsidy) must be paid and from which all payments must be made without exception. The subsidy paid to the Board on behalf of producers thus forms part of the Board's general income and particular sources of the Board's income cannot be earmarked for particular items of expenditure.