§ Mr. Geraint Howellsasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the application of the EEC's Less Favoured Areas Directive to Welsh agriculture.
§ Mr. John MorrisWe aim to implement the directive early in 1976. The interested organisations will be consulted on the details in the autumn before the necessary statutory instruments are presented to Parliament for approval.
§ Mr. Geraint Howellsasked the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has regarding any provision in the EEC's Less Favoured Areas Directive which will enable the British Government to retain the power to continue payments in excess of the limits set out in the directive; and whether this has any relevance to Wales.
§ Mr. John MorrisThere is no such provision in the directive. Although we expect the impact of the directive to be small, the precise effects on payments to individual farmers in Wales cannot be assessed until nearer the date of implementation of the directive.