HC Deb 22 November 1972 vol 846 cc431-2W
Mr. Charles Morrison

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the agricultural Ministers will be establishing the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce.

Mr. Godber

Section 6 of the European Communities Act, 1972, lays down that there shall be a board in charge of a Government Department which, subject to the direction and control of Ministers, will be charged with carrying out the functions necessary to implement in the United Kingdom the support arrangements of the EEC Common Agricultural Policy. The Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce Order, 1972, which deals with the detailed constitution of the board and empowers Ministers /o appoint the members comes into force today. My right hon. Friends and I have therefore appointed the board today with the following members:

  • Sir Con O'Neill, G.C.M.G. (Chairman).
  • Mr. Peter Coleclough.
  • The Hon. Islwyn Davies, J.P.
  • Sir Henry Hardman, K.C.B.
  • Mr. Michael Joughin, C.B.E., J.P.
  • Mr. Hector Laing.
  • Mr. J. K. Lynn, C.B.E., J.P.
  • Mr. Alan Shaw, J.P.
  • Mr. A. Savage (Chief Executive).

The board will be in charge of a separate Government Department and answerable to the agricultural Ministers. The Home Grown Cereals Authority and the Meat and Livestock Commission will act as its executive agents for work in connection with cereals and meat respectively. The chairman of the board will be working on a roughly half-time basis and will be paid accordingly; the other members will be part-time. Mr. Shaw will also serve as board member on the United Kingdom Seeds Executive which, as has already been announced, will be set up in due course as a statutory committee of the board. The Chief Executive of the board will be the accounting officer of the new Department.