HC Deb 22 June 1988 vol 135 cc601-2W
Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultations have taken place with the potato seed trade in Scotland about the possible transfer of potato variety testing for distinctness, uniformity and stability from Edinburgh to Cambridge.

Mr. Donald Thompson

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on Thursday 16 June, at column231, to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (M r. Kirkwood). At the meeting with representatives from the Scottish Crop Research Institute and Caithness Potato Breeders Ltd. on 28 July 1987, there was no disagreement that potato variety testing for distinctness, uniformity and stability should remain at Edinburgh. The report on plant variety testing and certification in the United Kingdom recommends the same.

Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what account was taken in calculating the saving of £42,000 of overheads to be achieved by transferring vegetable variety tests to Cambridge as against Edinburgh.

Mr. Donald Thompson

In 1987–88 the costs, including overheads, of vegetable variety testing for distinctness, uniformity and stability were estimated as £222.000 at Cambridge and £76,000 for the smaller number of species tested at Edinburgh. It was estimated that the extra cost of transferring all the work to Cambridge would be just under £35,000—a net saving of about £42,000.

Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library copies of the detailed calculations by which the review on plant testing and seed certification systems arrived at its cost estimate for work which it is proposed to transfer from Edinburgh to Cambridge, showing, in particular, any assumptions about productivity or efficiency gains.

Mr. Donald Thompson

I refer the hon. Member to the replies given to him on Monday 20 June, Tuesday 21 June and today. The calculations were based on information provided by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and the National Institute of Agricultural Botany.