§ Mr. Elystan Morganasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will given an undertaking that grants and subsidies now given to hill farmers will be continued in the event of Great Britain entering the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe methods which would be appropriate for assisting our hill farmers in the event of the United Kingdom entering the Community will depend on the development of the Common Agricultural Policy and on trends in market prices for the produce of hill farms. Our aim in any negotiations concerning this assistance will be to secure the best terms both for the hills and for the agricultural industry as a whole.
As I said in reply to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Gwynoro Jones) on 5th November at the opening of the present negotiations the Community were told that among the matters we wish to see covered is the question of assistance available for farmers in areas of special difficulty, which in our view includes the problems of hill farming areas.—[Vol. 805, c. 447.]