§ Sir Clive Bossomasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he can now make a statement regarding the retention of statutory bull licensing in view of its greater importance if the United Kingdom joins the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. PriorYes. I should like to make a statement about sire licensing.
My right hon. Friends and I have now completed our consultations with the organisations concerned with bull and boar licensing. These consultations were on the basis of a consultative document, copies of which were placed in the Library of the House on 17th June.
Most of the organisations concerned with boar licensing agreed that statutory licensing arrangements should come to an end. Powers will be taken to repeal Section 6(1) of the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1944, at the earliest opportunity.
On bull licensing the organisations concerned, while willing to see some changes, strongly emphasised that some form of statutory licensing should be retained. They believed that without statutory licensing damage would be caused to the industry through the use for breeding of "scrub bulls" and bulls with hereditable veterinary abnormalities and defects. Accordingly we have decided that the Improvement of Livestock (Licensing of Bulls) Act, 1931, should remain on the Statute Book. But Section 6(3) of the 1944 Act, which prohibits the licensing of cross-bred bulls, will be repealed at the earliest opportunity, and in future the inspection of bulls will be carried out by veterinary surgeons in private practice. Licences will continue to be issued by the Agricultural Departments, and the administrative arrangements will be discussed with the organisations concerned.
The boar breeeders indicated that they would wish to consider the introduction of a warranty system along the lines set out in the consultative document. We hope that the bull breeders will also consider a warranty system to run together with the revised licensing arrangements.
331WThe inspection of stallions is already carried out by veterinary surgeons in private practice, and, in the opinion of the organisations concerned, this works satisfactorily. Further consultations will be held with the organisations concerned.
The Government also intend to liberalise policy on the import of breeding stock and semen, while retaining stringent veterinary control over all imports. Early consultations will take place with representative organisations on the implementation of this policy, in particular on the allocation of the available veterinary facilities, which will inevitably restrict what can be handled. It will then be possible to reach decisions on the outstanding applications, most of which are for cattle or semen of breeds not established in this country. In the meantime
332W
Belgium/Luxembourg France West Germany Italy Netherlands WHEAT * Production '000 metric tons 1967 891 14,288 5,819 9,596 739 1968 900 14,985 6,198 9,655 679 1969 826 14,459 6,000 9,537 677 1970 763 12,922 5,662 9,630 643 Yield Metric tons per hectare 1967 4.09 3.64 4.11 2.39 4.79 1968 4.06 3.66 4.23 2.26 4.43 1969 3.79 3.58 4.02 2.26 4.36 1970 3.82 3.44 3.79 2.32 4.52 Cwt. per acre 1967 32.6 29.0 32.7 19.0 38.2 1968 32.3 29.2 33.7 18.0 35.3 1969 30.2 28.5 32.0 18.0 34.7 1970 30.4 27.4 30.2 18.5 36.0 BARLEY Production '000 metric tons 1967 669 9,874 4,734 295 447 1968 621 9,139 4,974 258 389 1969 610 9,452 5,130 292 389 1970 571 8,009 4,754 315 334 Yield Metric tons per hectare 1967 40.1 3.50 3.62 1.63 4.16 1968 3.70 3.29 3.74 1.47 3.64 1969 3.57 3.31 3.70 1.67 3.93 1970 3.04 2.73 3.22 1.75 3.19 Cwt. per acre 1967 31.9 27.9 28.8 13.0 33.1 1968 29.5 26.2 29.8 11.7 29.0 1969 28.4 26.4 29.5 13.3 31.3 1970 24.2 21.7 25.6 13.9 25.4 OATS Production '000 metric tons 1967 406 2,821 2,718 556 365 1968 355 2,528 2,893 390 318 1969 327 2,309 2,976 491 322 1970 225 2,070 2,484 486 201 * Including spelt. an import of Charolais cattle from France has been authorised. Controls over artificial insemination will be the subject of separate examination, and any question of major change in that regard must await the outcome.