§ 28. Mr. Wyn Robertsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to arrest the decline of the beef industry.
§ 49. Mr. Farrasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what new plans he has to arrest the decline of the beef industry.
§ Mr. BishopWe do not accept that the beef industry is declining. Production is still on the downward curve of the beef cycle, but trends in the cattle breeding herd suggest that production should begin to increase in 1978. Both the market and producers' returns are effectively underpinned by the combination of premiums and intervention, and support levels are due to increase at the beginning of the next marketing year.
§ 41. Mr. Hal Millerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the effect on the beef sector if the Irish Government agree to devalue the 294W Irish green pound and the United Kingdom Government do not devalue the United Kingdom green pound, as proposed in the Commission's price review proposals for 1977.
§ Mr. BishopIt is not possible to predict what the effect would be on the beef sector, since there is no necessary connection between market prices in the United Kingdom and the relative levels of the United Kingdom and Irish green pounds.
§ 43. Dr. Hampsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the average returns achieved over the last complete month by producers of beef in England and Wales.
§ Mr. BishopBecause no variable premium was payable the total average return in February 1977 for all clean cattle was the same as the average market price—i.e., 56.69 p/live kg.