§ Mr. Hamlingasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) to what extent exports of home-reared beef are subsidised by the taxpayer, directly or indirectly, through subsidies on feedingstuffs or capital grants or by other means;
(2) if he will recover any subsidy paid by the Exchequer on exports of home-reared beef by means of an export tax;
(3) if he will protect consumers against the continental policy of high meat prices by taxing exports and re-exports of fresh or chilled meat and store-livestock.
§ Mr. DiamondExchequer support for the home production of beef derives mainly from the system of fatstock guarantees and from calf subsidy. Other forms of indirect support are fairly small by comparison. Current exports of cattle are in the main not of types which will have been eligible for either fatstock guarantee or calf subsidy. In any case, guarantee payments on cattle have for many months been nil or comparatively small, owing to the strength of the market. In these circumstances, fiscal measures to recover subsidies would at present have little effect on the trade, but the Government are keeping the situation under review.