HC Deb 07 February 1969 vol 777 cc187-8W
Mr. Eadie

asked the Secretary of State for title he has received from egg producers in Scotland as a result of the proposed amendments to the Egg Subsidy Scheme.

Mr. Ross

I have received no such representations since my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced the Government's proposals for egg marketing arrangements to the House on 22nd January.—[Vol. 776, c. 453–7.]

Mr. Eadie

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many known egg producers there were in Scotland in 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968; and what was the estimated production.

Mr. Ross

The information is set out in the table below:

Number of producers
December, 1963 31,502
December, 1964 34,959
December, 1965 32,822
December, 1966 30,747
December, 1967 28,676
June, 1968 27,237
Estimated production June-May years (million eggs)
1963–64 875
1964–65 945
1965–66 868
1966–67 871
1967–68 863

The number of producers, which is derived from the Department of Agriculture's censuses, refers to producers of hen eggs for human consumption who occupy agricultural holdings over one acre in extent. The figure for December, 1968, is not yet available. The estimated production figures are net (excluding wastage, "seconds", etc.).

Mr. James Davidson

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why egg producers in North-East Scotland will not be eligible for the same subsidies as producers in certain other areas of the United Kingdom.

Mr. Ross

The Reorganisation Commission for Eggs recommended that producers in Orkney and Northern Ireland should receive a transport subsidy from the Exchequer to enable efficient units to compete in the United Kingdom market on the same terms as producers on the mainland. The Government, recognising the special difficulty presented by sea passage, have accepted this recommendation in principle. To extend a transport subvention to producers on the mainland would be inconsistent with the Government's objective, based on the Commission's central recommendation that the egg industry should move towards a basically free market.