§ Mr. Geraint Howellsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the state of the sheep sector of the agriculture industry; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BishopThe slight decrease in the breeding flock recorded at the June census this year reflects a reaction to last winter's778W difficulties. This setback is almost certain to be temporary and the longer term prospects for the sheep industry are encouraging. There is scope for home producers to meet a large share of domestic demand, as recognised in the White Paper "Food From Our Own Resources", and there continues to be a valuable export trade.