Mr. J. E. B. Hillasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give the detailed breakdown by products, quantities and prices of his estimate of £400 million as the cost of changing farm support from subsidies and deficiency payments to import levies.
§ Mr. PeartThe estimate took account of the fact that the change would make the consumer bear the whole cost of supporting producer returns by raising the general level of wholesale prices for food, both home-produced and imported, with consequential increases in the costs of processing and distribution. Meat would account for just over half the extra cost to the consumer, other livestock products for about one-third and cereal products for most of the remainder. On the basis of farm gate and import prices however cereals, including feed grains, would account for nearly one-half of the extra cost.