§ Mr. Ensorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has received the Report of the Economic Development Committee for the Agricultural Industry; and what action he intends to take on it.
§ Mr. Cledwyn HughesMy right hon. Friends and I have received the Committee's Report, which was published this morning and which is entitled "Agriculture's Import Saving Role". We are very grateful to Sir Edmund Bacon and the Members of the Committee for their penetrating and extensive assessment of the technically feasible expansion of the agricultural industry by 1972–73, with particular emphasis on potential import saving. As the Report makes clear, the Committee have not considered it their function to take into account our international commitments nor to indicate how the additional resources required are to be provided. These are recognised as among the major policy issues for the Government to consider, and my colleagues and I will be studying the Report in all its aspects against this wider background.