§ Mr. Joplingasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent the programme set by him on 12th November for the agricultural industry to 1972–73 is based on a faster rate of growth for the industry than one based on the achievement of the same growth rate as in the National Plan extended to 1972–73.
§ Mr. Cledwyn HughesMy statement of 12th November was an endorsement by the Government in broad terms of the assessment by the Economic Development Committee for Agriculture of the extra production technically possible by 1972–73, and it took the selective expansion programme a stage further. That Committee postulated some speeding up in the rate of growth but as I then explained, the Government doubt whether it will now be possible to achieve this growth in cereals for technical production reasons and in bacon for marketing reasons. The actual rate of growth will depend on the extent to which the indus-100W try can overcome technical problems of this sort.