§ 15 Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is now in a position to authorise the growing of increased sugar beet acreages in the United Kingdom during 1975; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PeartSince 1972 the determination of the beet acreage has not been a matter for Ministers but for the British Sugar Corporation in consultation with the National Farmers' Union. I am sure they will take into account the decisions recently made by the EEC Council of Ministers, in particular the increase in the United Kingdom's basic production quota.
§ 27. Mr. Lambieasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ask the British Sugar Corporation to increase the Scottish share of any increase in the tonnage of beet pulp produced following the latest sugar negotiations of the EEC.
§ Mr. StrangI will bring my hon. Friend's request to the corporation's attention. However, the corporation does have a duty to market the pulp to best advantage, in particular because the average sale price determines an element in the best grower's return.
§ Mr. Freudasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied that the British Sugar Corporation's processing capacity will be able to cope with the future anticipated 186W increase in sugar beet acreage: and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StrangIt is the corporation's responsibility to decide the sugar beet acreage in consultation with growers' representatives, and clearly it will not offer contracts for more beet than it considers can be processed. A factory expansion and modernisation programme is in progress and the corporation is considering what further action it should take following the increase in the United Kingdom's production quota recently agreed by the Council of Ministers of the EEC.