§ Mr. Peter Millsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider retrospective payments to beef producers on all cattle certified.
§ Mr. BishopI appreciate the difficulties faced by producers who sold their animals during the recent period of very low prices, but the variable premium arrangement is our incentive scheme designed to stabilise the market over the period to 31st January 1975 and to help with the over-wintering of existing animals. There would be major difficulties in ensuring that any premium assessed retrospectively would get back to the original producer. I am afraid, therefore, that I can hold out no hope of making the scheme retrospective.