§ Mr. Bryant Godman Irvineasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what sections or agencies exist in his Department for collecting information from, or giving advice and assistance to, private sector industry.
§ Mr. PriorMost sections of my Department are, in one way or another, concerned either with the collection of information from, or the giving of advice and assistance to, private sector industry.
The Economics and Statistics Group of my Department is the main agency concerned with the collection of statistical data, but other sections, including the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service (A.D.A.S.), obtain information of various kinds from the agricultural, horticultural, fishing or food industries in order to fulfil their functions.
Advice to farmers is available mainly through A.D.A.S., including the information which emanates from experimental centres, but all divisions give advice and assistance as appropriate to the private sector industries with which their work is concerned.