§ Mr. Farrasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, in view of the fact that United Kingdom self-sufficiency in beef declined from 85.4 per cent. in 1980 to 80.4 per cent. in 1981 and the Meat and Livestock Commission's estimate of a further decline to 73.5 per cent. by 1985, he will introduce a calf subsidy on calves not intended for breeding and over six months old.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithNo. United Kingdom production of beef and veal, expressed as a percentage of total new supply, is estimated to have been 91 per cent. in 1980 and—provisionally—92 per cent. in 1981. Beef producers should benefit from the 11 per cent. increase in support prices and from the major improvement in the value of the variable beef premium that we negotiated in the settlement of common agricultural policy prices this year.
§ Mr. Farrasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, in view of the fact that beef cow numbers have dropped from 1.9 million in 1975 to 1.4 million in 1981 and over the same period beef-type heifers in calf have gone down from 239,000 to 162,000, he will take immediate steps to double the suckler cow subsidy and increase the hill cow subsidy.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithNo. There are now signs of a levelling off in the decline of beef cow numbers, which reached an exceptionally high level in 1975. The hill cow subsidy, which is at its highest ever level, the maintenance of the suckler cow subsidy at its previous level, the 11 per cent. increase in support prices and the improvement in the value of the beef premium negotiated in the settlement of common agricultural policy prices this year should all assist in this respect.