§ Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of the further drop in egg prices during the past week, he is satisfied with the effectiveness of Government measures to help egg producers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BishopFollowing the fall in prices paid to producers by packers on 26th June my right hon. Friend asked the Commission to take urgent action in the interests of the industry. The measures authorised by the Commission in response were announced in the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Rother Valley (Mr. Hardy) and the hon. Member for Gloucestershire, South (Mr. Cope) on 3rd July—[Vol. 894, c. 1657.]—These measures came into force only on 7th July; as I have already said we shall have to wait and see whether they prove sufficient. Meanwhile the hon. Member will have noted that packing stations increased the prices of large white and brown eggs by 2p and 3p respectively last week.