§ Sir J. Maitlandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he is aware that paragraph 58 of the First Report of the Council on Prices, Productivity and Incomes pointed out that farmers' incomes had hardly risen since 1952; whether the relative lag in agricultural incomes has continued since this Report was published; and whether he will take action in the forthcoming price review to see that any imbalance is remedied.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsMy right hon. Friend is aware of the Council's observations on the gross income of farmers and of other categories of self-employed persons during the period 1952 to 1956. Compared with either 1938 or 1948 the gross income of farmers in 1956 had however risen more than the gross income of other self-employed persons. Moreover, between 1956, the last year mentioned by the Council, and 1962, the gross income of farmers rose by 23 per cent. and of all other self-employed 39W persons by 24 per cent. The economic position of the agricultural industry is being fully examined in the current Farm Price Review but I cannot anticipate the outcome.