§ Captain Orrasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what he is doing to develop the dead meat industry in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Peter MillsA number of meat plants in Northern Ireland plan to develop further processing facilities at their factories. These measures are encouraged by the Ministry of Agriculture, and grants are available from the Ministry of Commerce towards capital expenditure, particularly where extra employment will be generated.
The dead meat industry in Northern Ireland has developed rapidly in recent years. Sixty-nine per cent. of available fat cattle were slaughtered in1972 compared with 49 per cent. in 1965, and 33 per cent. in 1958 (332,314 cattle in 1972 compared with 120,762 in 1958).
§ Captain Orrasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cattle were slaughtered in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Peter MillsThe figures are as follows:
1968 … … … 288,360 1969 … … … 283,032 1970 … … … 317,173 1971 … … … 348,442 1972 … … … 332,314
§ Captain Orrasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total employment currently provided by dead meat plants in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Peter MillsMeat plants of various kinds employ about 4,000 staff made up as follows:
279W
Private meat plants … 810 Bacon factories … 2,300 Non-slaughtering bacon curers … 200 Local authority abattoirs … 390 By-product firms … 280 Gut processing establishments … 20
§ Captain Orrasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial aid is available to the dead meat industry in Northern Ireland; and how this compares with that available to dead meat plants in the Irish Republic.
§ Mr. Peter MillsIn approved cases, grants are available from the Northern Ireland Ministry of Commerce towards the setting up of new factories or the development and modernisation of existing factories. These grants vary according to circumstances and are payable under the Industrial Investment (General Assistance) Acts (Northern Ireland) 196671 and the Industries Development Acts (Northern Ireland) 1966 and 1971. I understand that capital grants for similar purposes are also available in the Irish Republic.