§ Mr. Adam Hunterasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the amount of the new subsidy for destruction of surplus poultry and converting them into offal, animal feeding stuff. fertilisers or glue, which has been paid to Messrs. Eastwoods and to each of the other two or three largest egg producers in Great Britain.
§ Mr. William RossI have been asked to reply.
I take it that the reference is to the scheme introduced by the Eggs Authority on 5th January to help producers dispose of old laying hens if they were unable to use normal slaughtering outlets. Payments of 2.5p per lb were offered to offset the lower return from such sales. This was entirely financed from the Authority's levy on producers. I understand that very few birds were slaughtered under the scheme which ended on 23rd January.
§ Mr. Adam Hunterasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence the Government have that smaller egg producers have been put out of business as a consequence of the setting up of industry-sized egg producers; to what extent his Department is now having to subsidise the destruction of birds; if he is satisfied with the situation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. William RossI have been asked to reply.
In recent years many producers have gone out of egg production. The main decline has occurred among small non-specialist producers, who, nevertheless, still account for the great majority of holdings with egg laying flocks. Specialist producers, both large and small, have in the same period increased their share of the market.
444WNo subsidies are available to egg producers from Government sources for the destruction of poultry or for any other purpose.
The Government appreciate that the main problem for the industry is to relate egg supplies to demand not only in this country but also throughout the EEC. We are discussing with the industry its ideas for achieving a better balance, and the EEC Commission is also discussing problems in this sector with representatives of the industry throughout the Community.