HC Deb 18 February 1954 vol 523 cc229-30W
Mr. Harden

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about the Government's intentions for implementing the special arrangements referred to in paragraph 16 of the White Paper, Decontrol of Food and Marketing of Agricultural Produce, Command Paper No. 8989.

Sir D. Maxwell Fyfe

The special position of Northern Ireland in regard to the marketing of agricultural produce has been carefully considered by the Government, in consultation with the Government of Northern Ireland. Agriculture is by far the largest industry of Northern Ireland. Production there has been expanded much more rapidly than in the United Kingdom as a whole, and the industry not only made a vital contribu- tion to the economy of the United Kingdom during the war, but continues to do so. During the period of shortages and closely controlled marketing conditions farmers in Northern Ireland have in general received parity of prices with farmers in Great Britain. With the ending of scarcities and the return towards a free market there is no doubt that farmers in Northern Ireland will find themselves at a peculiar disadvantage because they have to market the larger part of their whole production in Great Britain.

The Government do not expect Northern Ireland producers to carry the whole burden of a greater degree of price differentiation than that borne by other distant producers on the mainland. They have therefore decided that a financial adjustment should be made between the two Governments, a grant, the amount of which will be determined annually, being placed at the disposal of the Government of Northern Ireland to use for the purpose of assisting the agricultural industry. The following special arrangements will also be made to meet the particular difficulties arising in Northern Ireland in regard to the marketing of fatstock by reason of the absence of comprehensive marketing facilities:

  1. (i) The deficiency payments scheme will be administered in Northern Ireland by the Northern Ireland Ministry of Agriculture in close consultation with the responsible United Kingdom Departments;
  2. (ii) Where there are no auction markets, arrangements will be made for certification of fatstock for the purpose of the Guaranteed Individual Price;
  3. (iii) The Northern Ireland Ministry of Agriculture will operate as a residual buyer where this proves necessary.