HC Deb 15 May 1970 vol 801 cc366-8W
Mr. Walden

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the United Kingdom proposes to participate definitively in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Arrangements on Skimmed Milk Powder.

Mr. Cledwyn Hughes:

Yes. We have informed the Director-General of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade that the United Kingdom will participate definitively in this Arrangement, which we are already observing in practice. The other countries which have also agreed to participate definitively are the European Economic Community, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Japan, Canada and South Africa.

This Arrangement, together with the butter quota arrangements and the voluntary restraint on supplies of cheese from overseas, will make an important contribution to improved market stability in this country.

The arrangement lays down a minimum export price of $20 per 100 Kg. (84s. 8d. a cwt.) f.o.b. for exports of skimmed milk powder, but permits exports for animal feed under approved arrangements to certain destinations at prices below the minimum export price.

ESTIMATED COST OF PROPOSALS APPROVED UNDER THE HORTICULTURE IMPROVEMENT SCHEME
United Kingdom Horticultural Production Businesses (£'000)
Glasshouses Fruit
1967 1968 1969 1967 1968 1969
Quarter ending
March … 1,699 2,449 2,427 337 658 384
June … 1,449 1,915 2,319 417 755 471
September … 2,040 2,494 2,806 294 421 423
December … 2,337 2,271 2,874 146 205 260
Totals … 7,525 9,129 10,426 1,194 2,039 1,538

Vegetables Hardy Nursery Stock, etc.
1967 1968 1969 1967 1968 1969
Quarter ending
March … 220 363 309 70 111 128
June … 323 420 412 125 229 236
September … 322 479 607 156 161 195
December … 357 239 386 106 113 142
Totals … 1,222 1,501 1,714 457 614 701

Notes:

  1. (a) Rate of grant is 33⅓ per cent. plus 5 per cent. investment supplement.
  2. (b) These figures do NOT include the cost of proposals submitted within the period but still awaiting approval.

Mr. Newens

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what increases in efficiency have taken place in the horticultural industry in recent years.

Mr. Hoy:

Over the last five years the horticultural industry has made considerable advances in technological efficiency and productivity. In the United Kingdom in the five years between 1964–65 and 1969–70 the acreage under horticultural crops rose by about 7 per cent. and the volume of growers' sales by about 10 per cent. The benefits to growers of their improvements were also reflected

Domestic market prices are not prescribed by the Arrangement.

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