"Agriculture in the United Kingdom 1988"

HC Deb 16 February 1989 vol 147 cc360-1W

52. Mr. John Greenway

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of the farming industry, in the light of "Agriculture in the United Kingdom 1988", and if he will make a statement.

Mr. MacGregor

The Government appreciate that the necessary transition of the CAP to a greater market orientation will cause difficult problems of adjustment for many farmers. However, without reforms the CAP risked collapsing under its own weight and this would not be in the interests of the industry. Public expenditure for agriculture remains high and indeed over the period from 1979 to 1988–89 there was an increase of 7½ per cent. In real terms. The Government introduced a range of policies aimed at helping farmers through this period of adjustment.