HC Deb 26 June 1975 vol 894 cc224-5W
30. Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied that British horticultural growers are competing with continental horticultural growers on free and fair terms of competition; and if not, how he intends to rectify the situation.

Mr. Strang

Yes.

Mr. Corbett

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total estimated production of the major vegetable crops in each of the last five years from heated glasshouses.

Mr. Strang

Tomatoes are the only major vegetable crop for which estimates of United Kingdom output under heated glass are available. These are as follows:

Unheated glass together. These are as follows:

the total acreage of heated glasshouses in 1960, 1970 and in each year since.

Mr. Strang

The information is as follows:—

Area of heated glass (acres)
July 1960 … … … … 3,070
July 1970 … … … … 3,069
July 1971 … … … … 3,121
July 1972 … … … … 3,218
June 1973 … … … … 3,304
June 1974 … … … … 3,354

The figures relate to holdings in England and Wales with 1,000 sq. ft. or more of glass. Comparable information is not available for Scotland or Northern Ireland.