§ 48. Mr. Farrasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much the price of a joint of English beef costing 25s. today would rise if the subsidy were abolished and the full cost charged in the shops.
§ Mr. SoamesThe Government guarantee is designed to maintain farmers' returns for their cattle. If the guarantee were abolished home production would fall substantially, but the effect on meat prices would depend on the extent to which imports would be able to fill the gap. For this reason it is impossible to estimate the likely effect on retail prices.