§ Mr. Staintonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates he has made of the extra cost per acre facing the glasshouse industry as a result of the surcharge on imported fibreboard, the recent wage award, and the extra duty on hydro-carbon fuels.
§ Mr. PeartNo reliable estimate can be made of the extra cost to the glasshouse industry of the temporary charge on imported fibreboard because it is impracticable to isolate its effect from other factors affecting prices of fibreboard containers. The cost of the recent wage award is £31 4s. a year for each adult male worker in England and Wales, £23 8s. in Scotland and £26 in Northern Ireland. An acre of glass provides employment for, on average, four workers. In answer to the honourable member for Rye on 18th November last I estimated the cost to the U.K. horticultural industry of the recent increase in the duty on petrol and DERV as £¼ million. The greater part of this is on petrol used by motor vehicles carrying produce to market, but I can make no reliable estimate of the proportion attributable to glasshouse produce. The increase in duty does not apply to heavy oil used for glasshouse heating.