§ Mr. Swingler86, 87 and 88. asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) the notional national average percentage of minor faults for which he makes allowance in payments of subsidy on first-quality eggs;
156W(2) how he calculates the notional national average percentage of minor faults in the grading of first-quality eggs;
(3) under what authority and on what basis he makes deductions from payments of subsidy on first-quality eggs on account of minor faults.
§ Mr. NugentSubsidy is payable only on eggs graded by the packing station as first quality. Samples are check tested by Ministry inspectors and, if found to contain more than a prescribed percentage of second-quality eggs, a deduction is liable to be made on that account when the packer's claim is paid. The prescribed percentage is the average monthly percentage of second-quality eggs found in the samples tested by the Ministry in the corresponding month of the previous year. For instance, the figure for October is 2.5 per cent.
My right hon. Friend has authority to pay subsidy only on first-quality eggs, and a complementary obligation to devise a practicable arrangement to ensure that it is not paid on second-quality eggs.