§ 55. Mr. Mulleyasked the Minister of Agriculture what was the total amount of increase in costs, which was taken into account in the special price review of farm products; and how this compares with the total increase in prices and subsidies.
§ Sir T. DugdaleThe total increase in costs on review commodities that was 283W taken into account at the recent special review, was £16 million for higher wages for agricultural workers and additional holidays with pay, and the price increases I announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Mr. Hurd) last week should amount in a full year to about the same figure. I also announced a subsidy on phosphatic fertilisers of between £9 to £10 million in 1951–52 which should offset the excess increases in fertiliser costs since the last annual review. This subsidy will apply to phosphates used for the production of all agricultural commodities and not just to those whose prices were reviewed. No recoupment has been given for an aggregation of minor cost increases of about £12 million.