§ 21. Mr. Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in the light of a continued fall of the £ sterling on the world markets, he will now reconsider introducing a system whereby the green pound is automatically readjusted at regular intervals to ensure reasonable parity between prices received 446W by United Kingdom farmers and continental farmers.
§ Mr. PeartI shall continue to keep the representative rate for the pound under review. In view of the importance of balancing the interests of consumers and producers at any particular time I do not think that automatic rules for adjusting representative rates should be introduced.
§ 28. Mr. Geraint Howellsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list benefits which have accrued to British beef producers from the green pound in the current year.
§ Mr. PeartThe present rate for the green pound came into effect in the beef sector on 5th January 1976 and higher beef support prices applied in the United Kingdom from that date. To the extent that the green pound remains above the market rate for sterling, the prices of feeding stuffs to beef producers in the United Kingdom are held down.
§ Mr. David Steelasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will press for revaluation of the green pound now 14 per cent. out of line with the value of sterling.
§ Mr. BishopI refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury (Sir J. Langford-Holt) on 25th March.—[Vol. 908, c.235–36.]