§ Mr. Woofasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he is satisfied with the amount of £700,000 being spent by the Meat and Livestock Commission on the beef classification scheme; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what is his estimate, if the beef classification scheme is allowed to continue, of its effect on the price of meat to the consumer;
(3) how many persons are engaged on the Meat and Livestock Commission in administering the carcase classification scheme; what benefits he estimates will flow to the meat trade industry and the consumer respectively from the carcase classification scheme; and if he will make a statement;
(4) if he will arrange for decisions on beef classification to be undertaken by a committee exclusively composed of members of the meat trade;
(5) what representations he has received from the meat trade about the operation of the beef classification scheme; and what is his policy towards these representations.
§ Mr. PeartCarcase classification schemes are being developed by the Meat and Livestock Commission in pursuance of obligations placed on it by Parliament through the passing of the Agriculture Act 1967. I know of the opposition in certain sections of the meat trade to such schemes and I weigh their views carefully, as I do those of all other interests. But I have recently reaffirmed the view I held during my former period of office that properly devised classification schemes could make a considerable contribution to orderly and more efficient242W marketing which ought to lead in the longer term to a reduction in marketing costs and a lowering of prices to the consumer.
The problem is one which affects not only the meat trade but producers and consumers too, and the MLC is very well placed to compile satisfactory schemes since it can call on advice from its statutory and other committees which represent producers, distributors and consumers. The number of staff employed on these activities and their cost is entirely a matter for the commission. What is needed now is the full co-operation of all sectors of the industry in making sure that the schemes which emerge are the best that can be devised.
In order to ease the burden on the MLC's finances while this development work is in progress, the Government are intending to play their part by contributing substantially towards the cost in the first three years of each scheme. The figure of £700,000 relates not to the cost of beef classification but to the approximate total Government support intended for the cattle, sheep and pig classification schemes over a period of years.