§ Rev. Ian Paisleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth 146W was the net average commodity price received by producers in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, respectively, of the following commodities at or near 31st December, 1970, namely, fat cattle, store cattle, fat sheep and lambs, fat pigs, poultry, eggs for consumption, milk, barley and potatoes.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe information is as follows:
Affairs whether the public statement by Her Majesty's Ambassador to Ireland that entry into the Common Market will result in the Border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland withering away was made with his authority.
§ Mr. Anthony RoyleThis remark by Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Irish Republic was part of his response in the course of a newspaper interview published last November, to a question about economic and social harmonisation should both countries join the European Communities. The context makes plain that he was thinking in the very long term, and was pointing to the fact that the 147W divisive effect of national frontiers was diminishing between the present members of the Community. It is Her Majesty's Government's policy that there should be no change in status of Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom without the consent of the people of Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Gwynoro Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in view of the fact that should Great Britain enter the European Economic Community regulations will be necessary for mutton and lamb production. Her Majesty's Government will require that sheep producers in hill and upland areas will be granted special income support.
§ Mr. RipponThe Communities have no regulation on mutton and lamb. As my hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture told the House on 21st January, Her Majesty's Government fully appreciate the importance to hill producers of income support which they are now receiving.—[Vol. 809, c. 1332–3.]
§ Mr. Gwynoro Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has for ensuring that all members of an enlarged European Economic Community will observe standards of animal welfare and health no less stringent than those applied in the United Kingdom.
148W
NOTIFIED VACANCIES FOR MALES REMAINING UNFILLED AT 6TH JANUARY, 1971 (PROVISIONAL) AND NUMBERS OF MALES AND FEMALES REGISTERED AS WHOLLY UNEMPLOYED AT 11TH JANUARY, 1971 (PROVISIONAL) Registered wholly unemployed Vacancies for males Males Females Zetland 27 305 55 Orkney 7 208 41 Caithness and Sutherland 15 995 343 Inverness-shire, Ross and Cromarty 149 3,064 880 Argyll 48 1,165 481 Moray and Nairn 17 736 288 Banffshire 16 673 130 Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire 140 4,039 779 Angus 276 5,314 1,321 Perthshire 131 1,210 194 Fife and Kinross-shire 228 4,854 1,364 Edinburgh and the Lothians 734 11,641 1,931 Stirlingshire and Clackmannanshire 261 3,161 974 Glasgow City 1,006 25,409 3,741 Dunbartonshire 139 4,728 914 Renfrewshire 567 5,717 1,712 Lanarkshire 412 10,019 3,755 Ayrshire and Bute 318 5,162 1,584 Dumfries-shire 106 1,216 419 Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire 12 817 312 Peebleshire, Selkirkshire, Roxburghshire and Berwickshire 131 1,104 282 (except Berwick). The vacancy statistics relate only to notified vacancies remaining unfilled and do not purport to measure the total unsatisfied demand for labour.
§ Mr. RipponThe subject of animal health is one which we expect to discuss with the Community in the negotiations. There is no Community legislation on animal welfare.