§ Mr. Farrasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, (1) in view of the fact that he is going to operate intervention buying of beef at his own discretion, at what level he anticipates using these powers;
(2) if he will take steps to get certifying officers into liveweight and deadweight centres for the purpose of making payments to cattle producers at the earliest possible date;
(3) in view of the fact that from 1st April exporters of cattle to Great 389W Britain from the Republic of Ireland will receive a payment of £1.76p per cwt, if he will propose arrangements to guarantee returns to United Kingdom producers by subsidy or intervention.
§ Mr. PeartI have in mind no proposals for reintroducing the fatstock guarantee scheme for cattle, which was terminated by the previous administration. I have also obtained the agreement of my colleagues in the Council of Ministers that we should have the option of not taking beef into intervention.
I am in touch with the leaders of the farmers' unions about the overall market situation in the United Kingdom and will be keeping the matter under close review.